Between Freedom of Speech and Hate Speech: Similarities Between Stages of Genocide and Aggression in Modern Media

The purpose of the chapter is to discuss the slim line between the right of free expression (freedom of speech), the phenomenon of cyber hate speech, and the linguistic features of the stages of genocide by Stanton (The ten stages of genocide. Genocide Watch. https://www.hmd.org.uk/learn-about-the-holocaust-and-genocides/what-is-genocide/the-ten-stages-of-genocide/ , 2016). The state of the art in the field of genocide reveals that language is a powerful tool in the process of inciting physical violence or even extermination of communities. In general, almost each act of lynching or genocide starts with linguistic persuasion leading to classification, stereotyping, discrimination, alienation, and degradation of some communities. Once communities become dehumanized, the violence towards them, both verbal and physical, becomes acceptable. The analysis carried out in the paper juxtaposes ten stages of genocide (Stanton J, Genocide Res 6(2):211–228, 2004; Stanton J, The ten stages of genocide. Genocide Watch. https://www.hmd.org.uk/learn-about-the-holocaust-and-genocides/what-is-genocide/the-ten-stages-of-genocide/ , 2016) with the aggressive language present on the Internet to investigate whether there is a possibility of identifying utterances that should be penalized as potentially leading to physical violence in the long run.