(Originally published 2002, paperback edition 527 pages)
After loony Hitler and his acolytes killed 6 million Jews and millions of
"undesirables" who didn't live up to Aryan standards, the Western World said,
"never again." Ms. Power clearly shows how empty this promise was during the
20th Century. Her primary focus is on the United States due to us being the
major superpower as well as a beacon to the rest of the world when it comes to
human rights. The problem is we fall very short in the "never again" category.
Heck, not only did U.S. Presidents consistently tiptoe around using the word
'genocide,' we directly or indirectly aided those who went on their killing
sprees.
Ms. Power walks the reader through the invention of the word 'genocide' by Raphael Lemkin, a Holocaust survivor, and his lifelong effort to have the word become the standard for addressing the systemic effort to eliminate a specific group of people. The author highlights the 1915 massacre of Christian Armenians by the Turks; the Holocaust; the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia; Saddam Hussein's attack on the Kurds; the Bosnian Serbs genocide against Croats and Muslims; and, lastly, the Hutus butchery of Tutsis in Rwanda. U.S. Presidents, politicians and the military knew full well that genocide was taking place but failed to act for numerous reason sighted in the book. Yes, even the hallowed Ronald Reagan is taken to the woodshed by the author. Ms. Power does especially harsh and correct assessments of Presidents George H.W. Bush's and Clinton's actions. Under President Clinton's watch, three acts of genocide occurred with him only finally acting after he viewed it as a political liability to his Presidency. Basically, Bubba and Bush-41 had no backbone and focused primarily on themselves above all others.
What I found most infuriating about the world's and U.S. actions is their fear of using the word 'genocide' when it is clearly what was occurring. There are numerous examples in the book of politicians being vague or blantantly lying to save face. Ms. Powers does, however, highlight some heroes who challenged the lying piles of manure known as our elected officials. When the book was published in 2002, the author rightly received oodles of awards and recognition. This is great history, wonderful analysis and challenges the reader be better critical thinkers when it comes to acts of atrocity. As 9/11 clearly showed, the United States doesn't live in a bubble. Ignoring acts of genocide not only takes away from our sense of humanity, but encourages other nutcases to even greater lengths of barbarity. The book is well worth your time if you give a damn about other people.
Ms. Power walks the reader through the invention of the word 'genocide' by Raphael Lemkin, a Holocaust survivor, and his lifelong effort to have the word become the standard for addressing the systemic effort to eliminate a specific group of people. The author highlights the 1915 massacre of Christian Armenians by the Turks; the Holocaust; the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia; Saddam Hussein's attack on the Kurds; the Bosnian Serbs genocide against Croats and Muslims; and, lastly, the Hutus butchery of Tutsis in Rwanda. U.S. Presidents, politicians and the military knew full well that genocide was taking place but failed to act for numerous reason sighted in the book. Yes, even the hallowed Ronald Reagan is taken to the woodshed by the author. Ms. Power does especially harsh and correct assessments of Presidents George H.W. Bush's and Clinton's actions. Under President Clinton's watch, three acts of genocide occurred with him only finally acting after he viewed it as a political liability to his Presidency. Basically, Bubba and Bush-41 had no backbone and focused primarily on themselves above all others.
What I found most infuriating about the world's and U.S. actions is their fear of using the word 'genocide' when it is clearly what was occurring. There are numerous examples in the book of politicians being vague or blantantly lying to save face. Ms. Powers does, however, highlight some heroes who challenged the lying piles of manure known as our elected officials. When the book was published in 2002, the author rightly received oodles of awards and recognition. This is great history, wonderful analysis and challenges the reader be better critical thinkers when it comes to acts of atrocity. As 9/11 clearly showed, the United States doesn't live in a bubble. Ignoring acts of genocide not only takes away from our sense of humanity, but encourages other nutcases to even greater lengths of barbarity. The book is well worth your time if you give a damn about other people.
(Meyers - A few years ago, I
started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short
reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #311)
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