Similar to forms and phases of colonialization, dehumanization also have those stages on how the following person was dehumanized. The first and basic form of dehumanization is Under Valuing. “Under Valuing” is a term where someone lowered other people self esteem in public. Is when he/she deliberately embarrassed you in the public to make a statement whereas he/she is more superior. “Another recruit announced in the middle of a field exercise that he was ‘going home’, whereupon I hit him in the face, tied him to the center post of the assembly tent, and when he continued cursing and threatening me, fired a round of bullets into the sand between his legs.” P.32 – Yoram Banir. It is obvious that the following act mirror the definition of Under Valuing. Even though in the story the evidence was not about dehumanization, it is still clear that the recruit was embarrassed and humiliated in front of the public because Yoram wanted to, and Yoram is trying to give the impression that he is more superior. Another example from the film “Even The Rain” In the scene where Daniel and the film crew was just finishing casting the scene where Daniel was burn. Suddenly, 3 government official came out and dragged Daniel in front of his friend and colleague. The following action reflect the undervaluing in dehumanization from the book “My Enemy My Self”. Whereas the dehumanization also appear through the action/form of undervaluing. It is clear that the sole purpose of that is to show they have power, when the government official pulled Daniel in front of the public to embarrassed and humiliate him. The first ‘stage’ of dehumanization by the groups of power of both sides certainty was a success.
The second form of human dehumanization is Moral Exclusion. “Moral exclusion” is a term to describe where the more powerful group of people aren’t simply satisfied just proving they are more superior. This is the phase where the group of power wanted to exploit and harness their superiority. Its called moral exclusion because the moral of weak people were being excluded. “He reported that an extremely suspicious ID had been found on the person of an Arab who was just apprehended at the Gush Emunim demonstration, where he had been loitering with no apparent purpose.” P.107 – Yoram. Moral Exlusion is very visible on the dehumazing act the government have done. Its clear that the dominant group view them self as superior one because innocent Yoram was apprehended for no apparent reason, or perhaps they just wanted to morally exclude Yoram from the demonstration? Another example from the film to compare is in the scene where the morally dominant group (the government) took and locked the citizen source of water. Since the citizen were innocent, it is clear that the citizen were demoralized by the government. The government view them self more superiorly than the citizen do. And that what makes them took the citizen water source for no apparent reason. The innocent of two weaker groups of people that was morally excluded from the two resources are obvious example of dissatisfied groups of power with just “undervaluing”.
Last but not least, the last form of dehumanization is Inhuman approach. When the group of power had succeeded undervaluing and moral excluding the weak, most likely they would feel invincible and started to play ‘god’. Inhuman approach is a unethical term where the group of power thinks the weak as not human anymore, more like an animal and they would be called ‘it’ rather than ‘he’ or ‘she’. From the book My Enemy My Self, when they demonstrated in the main synagogue in Jerusalem, as they were demonstrating of killing of Arabs who aren't guilty and is not considered as a crime. Being bomb, being freely fling hand grenades at and blown to piece were Arabs. The mass genocide and massacre of Arabs were the most obvious example of the dehumanization inhuman approach. Although the example from the book isn’t a direct definition of inhuman approach. It is still crystal to say that the Jews were playing ‘god’ by exterminating the natives in their own land, just like a gardener kill pest in their plants but the Arabs weren’t pest. Moreover, Christopher Columbus has been playing this ‘game’ way longer than the Jews did. Back in the movie “Even The Rain” in the scene were they recorded the Natives Bolivian being torched alive. Because they didn’t accept Christianity, they were torched far worse than any human could stand, animal in that fact. I often question myself “In all Gods name what kind of human would dare to do that kind of thing?” is an expression where the group of power has dehumanize the weak until the weak ‘it’ self could recognize the ‘devil’ rather than human. Even though this last scenario of dehumanization only occur during war or colonialization, I bet there are a lot more off-the-books records that show unethical behavior far worse than school text books has to say. Inhuman approach usually happen when the weak has went through under valuing and moral exclusion.
In today abstract society, our knowledge and sympathy towards humanity was shaped based on our surroundings and environments. After watching the movie Even The Rain and reading the book My Enemy My Self, I believe only and because only through this writing and assignment that I could pour my primitive perspective of dehumanization. So that people who aren’t aware even of the slightest embodiment of dehumanization could aware more. Undervaluing, moral exclusion, and inhuman approach are on of the most common form of human dehumanization occur until now.
Jimmy Deng
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