Gregory Stanton is a Research Professor for Genocide Studies and Prevention at George Mason University. He is the founder and president of Genocide Watch, and developed the widely used and accepted Ten Stages of Genocide. At the time of the completion of this poster, the stages Discrimination and Persecution were not yet established.
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political or cultural group". This includes not just the Holocaust, but the Native American genocide, Tutsi Rwandan genocide, and hundreds more that go mostly unnoticed until the permanent damage is already done.
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political or cultural group". This includes not just the Holocaust, but the Native American genocide, Tutsi Rwandan genocide, and hundreds more that go mostly unnoticed until the permanent damage is already done.
Info graphic of the Eight Stages of Genocide. Recently two more stages have been added: Discrimination, and Persecution.
The key to the prevention of future crimes against humanity, is recognizing one in its beginning stages, so that it can be snuffed out before going further. This is the reason that many people are comparing Donald Trump to Hitler.
Trumps controversial and racially charged speeches during his presidential campaign closely tie into the principles taught through the 10 Stages as the beginnings of a genocide, as well as specific characteristics of Hitler's speeches. Eamples of the beginnings of genocide as well as a resurfacing of racial discrimination and hate speech can be observed in Trump's campaign.
In the Western world, and especially the U.S., people like to think that we're invincible in the face of our enemies. We may fight and take some hard hits, but America will always come out on top. But the reality of the situation is that atrocities like genocide happen all over the world every day. The German people didn't vote for Hitler in the hopes that a crippling Holocaust would occur. I think that the same kind of thought process is currently going on in the minds of America today. Those who support him as well as those who don't take him seriously are putting the country at risk of something terrible on the horizon. Maybe not something as bad as a Holocaust, but with the hateful rhetoric that spurts from Trump's orange flapping lips it's doubtful that life will be peaceful and happy if he is elected president.
"The Definition of Genocide." Dictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2016.