Perceived outgroup power plus malice lets mass murder self-justify as self-defense

Evidence

Conspiracy theories and related rumors that blame disliked events on the machinations of a group are the hallmark of envious prejudice and scapegoating. Intergroup emotion theory (Smith & Mackie, ch. 22 this volume) suggests that an outgroup that is perceived as intentionally having brought about calamities for the ingroup will elicit strong (group-based) anger. If a scapegoated group is viewed as both powerful and malevolent, even the most extreme actions against them (e.g., murder) can be rationalized as self-defense. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1587

Categorization

• XREF: The self-defense rationalization mechanism echoes mass-violence scholarship (Staub, genocide studies) already plausible in vault. — connects to: Racial self-security through others’ death generates its own counter-insecurity — David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race: Reflections on…, 145; True-enough logic treats hostile intent and capacity as adequate support — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying: The New…, 124; Bystander passivity compounds through self-justification and victim devaluation. — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide: The Social…, 138