The topic wasn't whether nukes are better or worst than other means of killing a comparable amount of civilians, but that our brain is shaped in such a way that

The topic wasn't whether nukes are better or worst than other means of killing a comparable amount of civilians, but that our brain is shaped in such a way that we can easily justify that kind of action because "they" did worse, and why this, very natural thing, is dangerous. Personal revenge and punishment has already an interesting amount of counter arguments. But when we begin to lift this issue up to whole populations/ethnic groups, the thing starts to get out of control. Collective guilt and responsibility and punishment were the same actors behind the very atrocities we were condemning and fighting. In the hearts of many people, the Jews deserved what happened to them because they were the alleged cause of their problems and misery (and they needed an enemy, someone to blame). And it was way easier for German people to not feel empathy for all the Jewish neighbors disappearing once they thought of them as "them", as carrying a collective guilt, regardless of individuals. So, I'm not here to discuss who is worse. But sometimes, as I struggle to understand how it's possible have had so many millions of complacent people, assisting, giving power to cruel dictators, sometimes I have a glimpse of how is this feeling, each time I happen to think "well, they deserve it".