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PaperclipPerfector  8d ago (text post)   25507 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of March 23, 2026

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"Genocide" is commonly used without meaning total elimination

Surely the term has to mean something stronger than 'lots of civilians died in a war'? Because if it doesn't, then every large war prior to (and including) WW2 was a genocidal war, as well as many afterwards.

There's a reason we talk about Hitler committing genocides against the Jews, Slavs and Romani, but not against the French, British and Americans, even though the Nazis bombed London and shelled French cities (and the Allies committed similar violence against German civilians).

Activists aren't using the word 'genocide' because it is a meaningful description of what is going on in Gaza. They're using it because it's the worst word they know.

Surely the term has to mean something stronger than 'lots of civilians died in a war'?

Activists aren't using the word 'genocide' because it is a meaningful description of what is going on in Gaza

Yes, it means something stronger then "lots of civilians were killed in a war", but not necessarily total elimination on a tight schedule. It can be used as a meaningful description for what is going on in Gaza, since Israelis seek more than military victory (neutered, maimed population, intentionally degraded conditions that make emigration more likely, both by push and pull). Fewer eyes on them, less qualms as demographics change, cover of a big war, and Israelis would go harder. All debatable, of course, and I don't care to, it's all been already said better than I can hope to.

My point was, no tight schedule does not completely defuse the accusation.

since Israelis seek more than military victory (neutered, maimed population, intentionally degraded conditions that make emigration more likely, both by push and pull)

I am rather skeptical of this claim, and would request evidence, except you also say:

All debatable, of course, and I don't care to

So be it.

Activists aren't using the word 'genocide' because it is a meaningful description of what is going on in Gaza. They're using it because it's the worst word they know.

Agreed. You could say that there is motte genocide and bailey genocide, motte feminism and bailey feminism; motte trafficking and bailey trafficking; etc.

Basically every word used by social justice types has a motte meaning and a bailey meaning.

I've yet to find a definition of "genocide" that includes the most recent round of the Gaza conflict, but excludes the US Civil War.

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