Schelo (Tensor.art)
Professor Norman Finkelstein is regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on Gaza. In an interview conducted April 2024 Professor Finkelstein discusses the Israeli military strategy known as, Mowing the Grass or Mowing the Lawn. Specifically, Mowing the Grass, is the periodic incursion of the Israeli Army into Gaza to massacre Palestinian people. It is a long-term strategy of attrition where small units of Israeli soldiers conduct a murderous operation and then leave Gaza after a short period of time. The first time this phrase, coined by Israel, was used publicly was in 2008.
It doesn’t take much intelligence or creativity to connect the dots of the Nazi eugenics racial policies of the 1930’ and 1940’s to ‘Mowing the Lawn.’ Yes, Hitler was more blatant in his ‘racial hygiene’ practices, but is there really a difference in the desired outcome? I think not. In the 1930’s and 40’s the Aryan race was cleansing the earth of Jews, Gays and Romani. In 2024 it is Zionists cleansing the earth of Palestinians.
The reasons why ethnic, religious, cultural, regional, and societal groups live at odds with one another is the content of thousands of books and articles. Each conflict seems to have a long and violent history with its own set of reasons.
But HOW human beings demonize and dehumanize others is a simple science. Dehumanization can be broken down into a set of rather clear steps. Steps that are effective over and over and over again. History does repeat itself be it Columbus landing on the shores of the Caribbean Islands, Hitler and Himmler carrying out the Final Solution, Americans fighting in Vietnam, Russians battling Chechens or Zionists conducting the current genocide in Palestine. The number of steps and the names of the steps may vary somewhat but basically the dehumanization process is as follows as described in an article written by Dr. R. Reggio. I offer a brief compilation of his thoughts below taken directly from the article. (Riggio, Ron. Five Steps of Dehumanization, Psychology Today, 11/08/2018)
1. Hinting at the subpar intelligence or morality of a group
In order for a minority group to become ostracized, the ego of the majority has to be assured of its own greatness. The majority needs to confirm that every other group is inferior.
2. The use of infestation analogies
The majority group must be made to feel like this minority is a threat to their health or safety in some way. The use of language like “infest” and “pour into” makes the people feel unsafe (whether German in 1935 or American in 2024)
3. References and comparisons to animals
This is a well-known tactic that was used primarily in the Holocaust. Jews were often compared to rats in various forms of propaganda, including art pieces, posters, and films. (In a recent speech Netanyahu likened Palestinians to "Amalek," citing 1 Samuel 15:3: "Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have... slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.")
4. Threats of violence
This is where the dehumanization turns from a prejudicial issue to a precursor for violence and danger. When a group is encouraged by a leader or fellow group member to become violent with the dehumanized group, they will often follow blindly. (In a recent speech Netanyahu likened Palestinians to "Amalek," citing 1 Samuel 15:3: "Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have... slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass." TJB, 2024))
5. The removal of the group from society
Last but not least is the most drastic step in the process. This step can be carried out in various ways including deportation, the use of camps, or the development of ghettos (seen historically throughout Poland and other European countries during the Third Reich). This step simply verifies to the majority that these group members are dangerous and subhuman and that they deserve to be confined or removed (or I might add, murdered. TJB, 2024)
That old song, ‘When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?’ I once had faith and hope that there would be a time where we listened to John Lennon, and gave peace a chance. I was young and naive. Now, as we move more quickly toward the devastation of our planet I don’t know. Yes, it is wonderful that students are standing up for the people of Gaza. So many saying, “This generation is the new hope!!”
And yet. And yet. The dehumanization continues. Student to cop. Cop to student. Congress to student. Student to congress. On and on. We just aren’t able to talk and to listen.
Way way way back in 1976, when I was 26, I wrote and acted in a one man play I titled, “No One Listens Anymore.” I actually made a 15 minute splash around the world. I have newspaper articles from around the world. I was interviewed on the radio. Jane Pauley mentioned me on the Today Show. Good Morning America ‘almost’ had me on live TV. Almost. I truly thought my play would make a difference. I had hope. Real hope that people would start to listen to one another. Then an old lady contacted me, said she would pay for the taping of my play. I naively accepted. And the sweet old lady stole my play and charged me five grand to get the video and the rights back to my play. You have to admit the irony of that is worth its price in gold. (Forgive the image below … no Google back in 1976).
As much as it is human nature to be in conflict it is also in human nature to be kind, compassionate, caring, peaceful and empathic. Here is my proposal for the earth. The number one, two, three and four key dimension when selecting a leader (or explorer) must be that the person is empathically peaceful. Let’s go with that.
So that in the future any reference to Mowing the Grass is literal, “Tommy, go out a mow the grass and make sure to keep the lines straight when you mow.”