Essay Questions

Who is Raphael Lemkin?

Raphael Lemkin was a Polish-Jewish lawyer who lived during the Second World War, and is known for having coined the term "genocide." He suffered tremendously as a result of the holocaust and lost many family members. In the book, Power tells us Lemkin's story in detail, and through him, she reveals the horrors of genocide in the 20th Century.

What has the US done wrong, according to Power?

According to Power, Presidents of the US during the 20th Century failed to act in response to mass genocides across the world, ultimately committing political inaction. She argues that "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." She also argues that many terrible atrocities across the world might have been prevented if the US would have intervened.

Why did Power write this book?

Power has a passionate interest in the history of genocides, which started when she used to work as a foreign correspondent. While working in this role, she was shocked to discover that the Clinton administration would not intervene in the genocide in Bosnia between 1992 and 1995 and was inspired to look into the US reaction towards genocides during the 20th Century.