#236 - Alette Smeulers: PERPETRATORS OF MASS ATROCITIES, Nazi Germany, Rwanda Genocide, The Nature Of Evil, Israel-Hamas War, Donald Trump, & Free Will

On this episode of The AUXORO Podcast, Alette Smeulers and Zach discuss the perpetrators of mass atrocities and the types of people who commit acts of mass violence, the role that Adolf Eichmann played within the Nazi regime, what makes someone evil or if "evil" even exists, the acts of violence committed on both sides of the Israel-Hamas War, whether or not Donald Trump fits the profile of a perpetrator, free will and the power of the choices we make, and more. Guest bio: Alette Smeulers is a professor of international crimes at the University of Groningen and the author of 'Perpetrators of Mass Atrocities: Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?' The book explores the perpetrators of mass atrocities such as war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and terrorism, and examines questions of why people kill and torture and how mass atrocities occur. Alette is also the host of the podcast 'Terribly & Terrifyingly Normal' where she explores many of the same topics explored in the book with other well-known scholars in the field.