> people were at first shocked by the cynical and systematic genocide and slaughter of hapless civilians by the war machine. after a year or so of being bombarded by the brutal images, they began to feel that the only way to reconcile themselves to the horror was to turn themselves into enthusiastic supporters of the genocidal aggressor. the self-justifying story which the aggressor had told at the start of the attack, which had at first been treated with scepticism and scorn, began to be not only believed but to be repeated more and more often. people began to crave more attacks, more brutality, against an enemy they had convinced themselves must be wiped clean from their conscience. phrases like "finish the job" and "wipe out the source" became commonplace. when they were not being assailed by images of carnage, they sought for themselves wilder and wilder distractions, crazier clowns, absurd public pantomimes which they treated with the same sense of just-enthusiasm as the slaughter.
United Kingdom