Ep 5. Crimes Against Humanity

In season 1 episode 5 of Why We Hate, entitled "Crimes Against Humanity," the focus turns towards the atrocities that can arise when human beings are driven by hate. The episode explores a range of historical and contemporary examples of mass violence, including the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide, and the Bosnian War, in an attempt to understand how ordinary people can become capable of committing such heinous crimes.

The segment on the Holocaust examines how the Nazis were able to dehumanize Jews and other marginalized groups through propaganda and political rhetoric, ultimately leading to the genocide of millions of people. The episode also looks at the role of bystanders in the Holocaust, and how everyday people were able to justify or ignore the atrocities happening around them.

The episode then moves to Rwanda, where the Hutu government's propaganda campaign against the Tutsi minority led to the genocide of at least 800,000 people in just 100 days. The episode explores the role of radio broadcasts in inciting violence, as well as the influence of tribal identity and historical grievances on the conflict.

The episode also examines the more recent Bosnian War, which saw horrific war crimes committed against civilians, including the infamous Srebrenica massacre. The episode looks at how the conflict was fueled by nationalist propaganda and a desire for ethnic purity, and how the international community failed to intervene to prevent the violence.

Throughout "Crimes Against Humanity," the episode seeks to understand how ordinary humans can become capable of such extreme violence. Experts on hate and violence speak to the psychological and sociological factors that can lead people to participate in mass violence, from the desire for power and control to the psychological mechanisms that allow people to dehumanize their victims.

The episode also looks at how a lack of empathy and understanding can perpetuate hateful attitudes and actions towards others, and how education and empathy can be used to combat hate and prevent mass violence. "Crimes Against Humanity" ultimately serves as a harrowing but important reminder of the terrible consequences that can result when hate and prejudice are allowed to fester unchecked.