"Throughout history, unscrupulous people have used division to manipulate entire populations. The designers of the Rwandan genocide understood that very clearly. They knew that if they could isolate an identity group and characterize it as a vengeful, duplicitous enemy, they could consolidate their own power and motivate members of their target audience to do virtually anything for them. It worked. Human beings are tribal by nature. We instinctively divide the world into an “us” and a “them.” It’s a mental shortcut. It relieves us of any responsibility to engage in deeper discernment. It protects us from risk. If we just stick with our own people, or so the argument goes, then we will be safe."
