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Samantha Power, A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide
Book Review [Full Text]
Samantha Power, Peter Ronayne

November 25, 2002

Peter Ronayne (reviewer)

Joseph Stalin, mass-murderer extraordinaire, famously commented, "A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic." Stalin’s cynical statement no doubt has a ring of truth to it—the mind is easily overwhelmed by the staggering death tolls that represent genocide in Armenia, Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and elsewhere. Nonetheless, one expects and hopes that the United States and its leaders, as champions of human rights, would rise well above Uncle Joe’s cynicism to see such "statistics" for the crimes they are and put a stop to them where possible.

In her authoritative book, A Problem from Hell, Samantha Power reminds us that, sadly, this has not been the case. Instead, the United States has consistently failed to exert its considerable leadership on the world stage to halt genocide.With forceful, regretful, and even angry prose, Power reveals the stark record: the United States has rarely missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity to stand against genocide.

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About the Journal

The Carnegie Council's flagship publication, Ethics & International Affairs is an interdisciplinary resource for scholars, students, and policy analysts concerned with the moral dimensions of global issues. The journal covers global justice, civil society, democratization, international law, intervention, sanctions, and related topics.

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The Editors welcome responses to Features and Essays published in Ethics & International Affairs. To be considered for publication, responses should be no longer than one thousand words, including endnotes (which should be kept to a minimum). Responses are not peer-reviewed, and are published at the Editors' discretion. All responses are subject to editing for length and style. In the event of any questions or substantive editing, the response will be returned to the author for final approval prior to publication. Responses are published online, alongside the article they address.