Genocide is defined as intentional. For this reason, smallpox in America (like the black death in Europe) is not genocide while the Young Turks killing Armenian

Genocide is defined as intentional. For this reason, smallpox in America (like the black death in Europe) is not genocide while the Young Turks killing Armenians or Saddam Hussein gassing Kurds is genocide. As to the idea of "punching down". The North was punching down when they invaded the South and forced them to free their slaves. I think this was a good thing. Having power and using it isn't synonymous with evil. The issue with "punching down" is that it implies that position always entails abuse. People who use the phrase always seem to shut up when the punching down is in their favor. > Illegal Mexican immigrants in the US are often quite racist against black people, for example. Illegal immigrants leave a terrible situation to work the worst kinds of jobs here because they are still better than what Mexico offers. They live under constant threat of deportation too. You then paint these people as having privilege and say they're all racists. If punching down is a thing, you might just win a medal.