Sarajevo, Rwanda, Cambodia and Armenia can't happen here can it?

[TexasProgresive]

This is what scares me about the hate that Trump is stirring up. Sarajevo was a beautiful multi ethnic city when it hosted the winter Olympics. Tito's death left a vacuum that gave rise to movements to make Serbia great again.

A psychiatrist who had lived peaceable with his neighbors of varying ethnicities decided it was his time to greatness. Radovan Karadžić stired up the passions of his Serb neighbors against the Croat and Muslim residents of Sarajevo. A massive civil war broke out that destroyed the city leaving many people dead and injured.

If you think it can't happen here- think again. We have the same kind of ethnic mix, even more so with would be Karadžić stirring the pot. I really don't have an answer how to prevent an American holocaust. I feel like a Cassandra. Hopefully I am just being pessimistic and am wrong.

[JFKDem62]

1. Will not happen.

America will not go in this direction.

[Albertoo]

2. Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Armenia happened along ethnic/religious lines

The ethnic minorities are not separated by religion and do not identify as minorities first, Americans second (as a Serb or a Tutsi would)

[TexasProgresive]

4. Trump's fans think they are the real Americans.

All the rest of us are vermin to be eliminated. That's how I see it. I hope you are right and I am wrong.

[Albertoo]

6. 'real Americans' vs Europe-style nanny state Liberals is what Trumpsters mean

which is why the Rwanda/Yugoslavia parallel isn't in the cards

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. The Rwandan genocide was not along religious lines

As the contents of this volume indicate, that religious institutions should be implicated in a genocide is not exceptional. In Rwanda, however, unlike the genocides of Armenians in Turkey, Jews in Europe in World War II, and Muslims in Bosnia, and to the genocidal violence between Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs in India and Christians and various Muslim groups in Lebanon, religion did not serve as an ascriptive identifier to demarcate a social group as an essential "other.&quot 5) Both Catholic and Protestant churches in Rwanda are multi-ethnic, and the genocide in Rwanda occurred within religious groups. In most communities members of a church parish killed their fellow parishioners and even, in a number of cases, their own pastor or priest.


http://faculty.vassar.edu/tilongma/Church&Genocide.html

[Albertoo]

14. Which is why I mentioned 'ethnic'

the slash stood for 'or': ethnic/religious = ethnic or religious.
Sorry if it wasn't clear.

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. The point is that Americans *are* seen along ethnic lines

Trump has a history of discriminating against black people; he attacks Mexican immigrants; non-white people suffer at the hands of the police. Even in the Democratic party, we look at how black and white people choose their candidates.

[Albertoo]

17. I did try to be specific about that in my post #2

The ethnic minorities are not separated by religion and do not identify as minorities first, Americans second (as a Serb or a Tutsi would)

That is the key difference with the conflicts mentioned:
- Armenia: people defined themselves as Turks or Armenians first
- Rwanda: people defined themselves as Tutsis or Hutus first
(again, an illustration of the artificiality of the borders drawn by the colonial powers)

A Mexican-American, an African-American or an Asian American would define themselves as Americans first and not as Latinos, Blacks or Asians. Hence, my distinction.

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. The problem isn't how those groups see themselves; it's how Trump's white supporters see them

It's not whether the victims identify as a minority first; it's whether the oppressors/attackers claim they do. And Trump's a racist who hates Mexicans and is stirring up more hatred.

[Albertoo]

23. Sorry, I do not think this applies

I do not think even Trump supporters (the bulk of them) would define African-Americans, Mexican-Americans or Asian-Americans as Blacks, Latinos or Asians first.

Further, I think Trump supporters are motivated by the effects of immigration and/or free trade agreements on jobs first, not by a racial animus (even if many racists will vote Trump)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3489656/To-dismiss-Trump-bigoted-buffoon-YUGE-mistake-s-elite-bashing-hit-workers-Political-svengali-helped-sweep-David-Cameron-power-gives-stunning-appraisal-president.html

[noamnety]

3. I feel like fracking is our version of it.

along with the Flint water situation - but that sort of water war.

[JI7]

5. the United StaTes has it's own history and record of hate agaisnt other groups

[AngryAmish]

7. Every multi ethnic society has these fault lines

There are real benefits in uniethnic societies. In multiethnic societies political parties segregate by ethnicity/race.

In the US, the Republican party is for white folks. Democratic party is for black folks and their allies.

There will be a shooting war in 25 years in the US.

Long term, either a military caste like Egypt rules, a genocide or ethnic cleansing or many smaller and independent States.

Republics do not work and cannot work with the sortswe have running things.

[romanic]

13. Sad but true.

The truth is, despite the benefits of a multicultural society; you also have it's pitfalls too. Diversity can be a great thing, but that word being a combination of the words "divisive" and "adversity" isn't just a coincidence.

[mountain grammy]

8. Yes, I think it can happen here..

mainly because I don't trust law enforcement.

[TexasProgresive]

9. Law enforcement and let's not forget the military.

[Stuart G]

11. It has already happend here..please read, "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" by Dee Brown

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bury_My_Heart_at_Wounded_Knee

[mountain grammy]

12. One of my top ten favorite books

read it some 40 years ago. Required my children to read it too. Yes, that was indeed ethnic cleansing.

[ScreamingMeemie]

15. People still forget this all the time.

[yardwork]

21. Not to mention hundreds of years of slavery.

[JanMichael]

18. google bleeding kansas. towns attacked other towns and killed hundreds.

it has happened here. maybe not recently but it has.


i forgot general order no. 11 1863. white on white regional ethnic cleansing. evicted then homes burned down.

[KamaAina]

19. At one point in 1991, both 1984 Olympic cities were on fire.

The other, of course, being L.A. post-Rodney King.

At the time, I thought that the IOC could make a special assessment to its member countries to rebuild Sarajevo. Then I learned about the IOC's fascist history, and eighty-sixed that one.

[yardwork]

20. You forgot to mention Vienna.

One of the most cultured places in the world when it's people embraced Nazism.

Hell yes it could happen here.