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A review by libbyy_98
A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide by Samantha Power
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
"The real reason the United States did not do what it could and should have done to stop genocide was not lack of knowledge or influence but a lack of will. Simply put, American leaders did not act because they did not want to."
Wow, there is no wonder this book won a Pulitzer Prize. Power does an absolutely phenomenal job at explaining the absolute powerhouse of a topic as genocide and its relationship with the United States. I considered myself pretty versed in 20th century genocides, having studied them at a university level, but this book allowed me to understand what role the United States played (or did not play) in these atrocities.
It is extremely well written - each chapter explores a genocide of the 20th century from Armenia through to Kosovo, from recognition to response on behalf of the United States. Additionally, she explores the great personalities who fought extremely hard for recognition within the country, including Henry Morgenthau, Raphael Lemkin and William Proxmire among others who dedicated their entire lives to the cause. So many familiar faces are found within these pages, Romeo Dallaire being a particularly sad case, all men and women who tried their damnedest to get somebody to pay attention to what was happening, but most of whom ended with scars and regret because in the end nobody gave a damn and nobody wanted to risk their political careers.
There is no happy ending to this book (obviously), it was written in 2003, where the real impacts of 9/11 had not been fully recognised and Power concludes that the United States must stand with those who were ridiculed or shunned for daring to stand up for those who did not have a voice - while it can be debated whether or not there have been genocides in the 21st century (there have), there is no doubt that the United States has failed completely in this objective and in its place as the 'leader of the world' when it comes to the mass killings occurring in 'far off nations'.
"The United States has never in its history intervened to stop genocide and has in fact rarely even made a point of condemning it as it occurred."
Sounds awfully familiar doesn't it?
Wow, there is no wonder this book won a Pulitzer Prize. Power does an absolutely phenomenal job at explaining the absolute powerhouse of a topic as genocide and its relationship with the United States. I considered myself pretty versed in 20th century genocides, having studied them at a university level, but this book allowed me to understand what role the United States played (or did not play) in these atrocities.
It is extremely well written - each chapter explores a genocide of the 20th century from Armenia through to Kosovo, from recognition to response on behalf of the United States. Additionally, she explores the great personalities who fought extremely hard for recognition within the country, including Henry Morgenthau, Raphael Lemkin and William Proxmire among others who dedicated their entire lives to the cause. So many familiar faces are found within these pages, Romeo Dallaire being a particularly sad case, all men and women who tried their damnedest to get somebody to pay attention to what was happening, but most of whom ended with scars and regret because in the end nobody gave a damn and nobody wanted to risk their political careers.
There is no happy ending to this book (obviously), it was written in 2003, where the real impacts of 9/11 had not been fully recognised and Power concludes that the United States must stand with those who were ridiculed or shunned for daring to stand up for those who did not have a voice - while it can be debated whether or not there have been genocides in the 21st century (there have), there is no doubt that the United States has failed completely in this objective and in its place as the 'leader of the world' when it comes to the mass killings occurring in 'far off nations'.
"The United States has never in its history intervened to stop genocide and has in fact rarely even made a point of condemning it as it occurred."
Sounds awfully familiar doesn't it?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Torture, Violence, Murder, and War