Well said.
I’d also point out that dehumanising a subgroup is a powerful technique used to manipulate people. Tell people who to hate and you can get them to go along with anything while they’re focused on the scapegoats. Popular scapegoats include:
- immigrants (taking our jobs while, paradoxically, being a welfare burden)
- religious groups (Jews, Muslims, etc.)
- welfare recipients (dole bludgers, a burden on society)
- criminals (war on drugs, tough on crime)
Any time someone is demonising a group theres a good chance they’re just trying to manipulate you.