Humanity on a Bonfire

Abstract

This chapter argues that in analyses of cruelty, if the rules and niceties of social commentary and academic rigour are removed, the chequered picture of subtle and not-so-subtle differences in cruelty is lost. Instead, there emerges a stark, almost universal picture of human rights being derided and any respect for a common humanity thrown on a bonfire, literally in some cases. That trend shows the danger of not paying serious attention to cruelty as policy. The chapter contends that humanity would benefit from admissions that cruelty is present in the motives of policy makers, in the hate-filled attitudes of religious and political extremists, and in the cowardly indifference of media commentators. If cruelty is acknowledged to be significant in a range of values and policies, crucial to the operation of bureaucracies and in the conduct of international relations, there is a responsibility to ensure that such conduct is exposed, challenged, and eliminated.