people kill hostages and circulate videos

You're right, there does seem to be an effect like, we're on a roll. But remember when the media glorified the hanging of Saddam?

What I'm really saying is that evil is when ordinary people become convinced that they have the right to treat other living beings- humans primarily, but also animals and plants in other circumstances- as objects. Whether as a video'd burning to demonstrate that we're doing it because we can, or the stratospheric calculations of those who view a hundred thousand deaths as acceptable collateral damage, or the businessmen who see the rainforest as somewhere we ncould be growing palm oil, if only it weren't in the way.