Genocide: a problem from hell
The words 'never again' are central to the vocabulary of modern political leaders when they speak of genocide. However, as we all know, those words never quite ring true. It does keep happening again. The Holocaust. Cambodia. Bosnia. Rwanda. Srebrenica. Kosovo. Darfur. Samantha Power, who is a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, has recently released a book called A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide that carefully examines the history of genocide in the 20th century.The book's conclusion does not so much propose new arguments as for why genocide continues to happen, but lays out a strong, powerful, unassailable case in favour of the notion that major powers have had all of the information necessary but have lacked the willpower to stop genocide. The book offers a great look into the US State Department, examining the role of dissenters within that organization, putting together a comprehensive picture of policy development, and also looks at Presidential involvement. It also examines the history of fighting genocide in the world, stretching back to roughly 1917, when the Armenian genocide was taking place. The fact that genocide is today an internationally-punishable crime is thanks mostly to a Polish Jew named Raphael Lemkin, who fought to have the word (his invention)included in international legalese.
All in all, it's a fascinating read that devastates very comprehensively the claim that the major powers simply didn't know about genocide while it was in progress. Power proves very clearly that it was the willpower from top officials that was lacking. It's a particularly useful read in the wake of the UN's recent acceptance of the notion that the world has a 'responsibility to protect', offering a good overview of the history of genocide in the 20th century.
