Quote:
Originally Posted by ChotooMotoo
In the United States, there is a definite difference between local, state, and federal government. Taking Pakistan as an example, if a Pakistani policeman got all P'Od and burned down his Hindu neighbors house without a federal mandate to do so, and it was reported in a western newspaper as "Pakistani Government Destroys Hindu Property" I'm pretty sure you would be the first to raise your hand and yell false reporting.
Ethnic cleansing against Indians is well known. There was also an order to exterminate Mormons in Utah. I'm not aware of any military action being taken against Mexicans or any other group you mentioned.
"Ethnic Cleansing" as it's used almost always means violence. If a predominantly Black neighborhood lived in a flood plain, their properties were flooded, and the government subsequently bought their flooded property (causing the people to relocate) that would not be considered Ethnic Cleansing, even though the Black Population was obviously eliminated from their land.
Again, just be careful about your definition.
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The problem with your analogies is that its not a reflection of what happened. If a Pakistani police officer burned down his neighbors house and was later punished for it, then obviously, its not ethnic cleansing. However, if he burned down the Hindu guy's house and other law enforcement agencies didn't do anything and the federal government didn't do anything even after this information was brought to light or they engaged in polemics that it was necessary to do so to preserve the racial purity of the country or because it was manifest destiny, then thats ethnic cleansing. Similarly, in many of the instances where people were initiating pogroms against minorities, the government either participated or it sat on its hands and looked the other way.
The problem with your second analogy is that the federal government is providing them compensation for the relocation, thats why its not ethnic cleansing. Moreover, in many of the cases, the people were targeted specifically because of their race or ethnic group and terrorized into leaving and were neither compensated for it and their property was often seized.
The definition of ethnic cleansing doesn't have to include violence per se in order to be ethnic cleansing.