Or is it just an unfalsifiable claim that’s used to move the goalposts when there’s not sufficient evidence for any of the signs or traits of a genocide? A genocide without deaths, refugees, dehumanizing propaganda, or willful misallocation of resources?
It is real in that we do it all the time. If you look at the way England operated though most of history to it’s colonies, or residential schools to first nations peoples that is the main idea. However in both cases there were also lots of deaths and refuges, and dehumanizing propaganda.
However yeah, you have it figured out. It is a legally distinct category of stuff so politicians can use it to mean whatever they want mostly