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On this topic, I highly recommend Samantha Power's book "A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide" which details the United States inability to resp
by ASpring 10y ago
On this topic, I highly recommend Samantha Power's book "A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide" which details the United States inability to respond promptly to the many cases of genocide over the past century.
- tomjen3 10y agoI love how that book blames America for failing to respond to many genocides committed far away from its borders - what other great power has ever done so, unless it was for their benefit? As a non-American, we are fucking lucky that America not only doesn't extord us for loot (as any other empire would) but actually spends so much energy, lives and money keeping protecting us. I am personally really happy that Putin knows there will be consequences if he rolls west.
- anigbrowl 10y agoOne could argue that the Roman Empire endured as long as it did because the pax Romana was preferable to the tribal warfare it displaced, even though the Romans may not have particularly cared about security of any given group within their sphere of influence. I'd argue that as the world shrinks long-term consequences manifest over shorter absolute timescales.
- jacobolus 10y agoHave you read the book? If not I recommend against flippant responses. It’s a careful detailed history of several genocides, one per chapter. It’s a harrowing book, and reading each chapter would leave me depressed for a couple days. I couldn’t read more than about one chapter per month.
- conistonwater 10y agoThe comment is ambiguous, it's not really clear if it's actually meant to be flippant or not. If you read it literally, the meaning is directly the opposite and still makes sense.
- EdHominem 10y agoWhy are you (and others) so negative about feedback? We can't get better at something unless we realize why we aren't doing it well. > what other great power has ever done so, unless it was for their benefit? Right, it's for their benefit. Not just morally, but economically and geo-politically. Which is why we want to make sure we can stop the problem rather than watching the tragedy unfold as we powerlessly flail against ourselves. (ie, waiting until we label something a genocide before trying to help.) > As a non-American, we are fucking lucky that America not only doesn't extord us for loot They're generally happier to gain a stronger position than to be up a few bucks. It's long-term thinking. > I am personally really happy that Putin knows there will be consequences if he rolls west. Ditto, but these days I believe less and less than the USA would do anything. Or at least until it's too late.
- ASpring 10y agoGreat point. Exactly what the book tackles. The US did not often intervene in the past because there was no direct benefit to do so. Powers argues that this is changing. The international condemnation and uproar from citizens has political consequences for those in power and thus is enough to generate action.
- GFK_of_xmaspast 10y ago> America not only doesn't extord us for loot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Veins_of_Latin_America https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Veins_of_Latin_America
- favorited 10y agoFor those who aren't familiar, Samantha Power was (until recently) US Ambassador to the UN. Before that, she was an journalist, author, and activist.
- RcouF1uZ4gsC 10y agohttps://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-cautionary-tale-of-samantha-power/ https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-cautionary-t... is a great article of how even when you come I to a place of power, preventing genocide is much harder than it appears.