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Genocide, after all, is an exercise in community building.
Philip Gourevitch
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that genocide, despite its horrific nature, can create a disturbing sense of community among perpetrators.

Philip Gourevitch's quote unexpectedly highlights the dark and twisted nature of genocide, positing that it can serve as a perverse form of community building among those who enact such atrocities. It draws attention to how shared beliefs and actions, even if deeply immoral, can forge bonds among individuals, reflecting the complexities of human behavior and morality in extreme circumstances.

Themes

GenocideCommunityAtrocityMoralityHuman Behavior

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about the impacts of historical atrocities.

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