Other times, genocides committed by the good guys were simply downplayed. It was sometimes made Darker and Edgier by introducing the counterpoint trope known as Genocide Dilemma. Likewise, in fiction, a hero might have once looked on with indifference at a whole race of enemies being exterminated, or even have approved, but now the hero would roar at the thought of a villain doing that kind of dark deed, no matter how beneficial it would be for the hero, with a cry of " You're Insane!" and furiously leap in battle to stop the atrocity. After World War II, genocide, as this phenomenon was subsequently named, stopping being merely another feature of war and became the ultimate act of evil. So, people started to know about the Holocaust and to their horror learned what a Final Solution actually looked like, felt like, and meant. Then the Kaiserreich, the Ottoman Empire, and Nazi Germany came along and did it for real. Just kill them all it makes perfect sense. Prior to the 20th century, this trope, while still frowned upon ever since the end of Classical Antiquity or so, wasn't really seen as problematic as it is today. Deal with the whole damned problem once and for all! If the enemy race is Always Chaotic Evil ( as far as your side's viewpoint is concerned, at least) or you simply don't want to get trapped in a Cycle of Revenge, why not simply exterminate them all? Including the children especially the children to make sure they don't rise up to become warriors.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |