@Alon yes. i think it’s fair to point out neither side began with dehumanization at a leadership level, viz Ukraine. at a public level, even before there were “orcs” there were disparagements against “khokhol” on Russian social media. 1/

@Alon but overall i agree with you re:Russia - Ukraine. this rule would not have prevented that conflict, which was prosecuted very coolly as a geopolitical choice by Russia’s leaders, not by virtue of cycles between an inflamed public and inflammatory leadership. 2/

@Alon but many conflicts do depend upon those kinds of inflammatory cycles to gear up to violence and atrocity. consider eg the Yugoslav wars, and of course signally Rwanda. perhaps Russia-Ukraine is the exception that proves the rule? /fin