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Why Not Kill Them All?: The Logic and Prevention of Mass Political Murder
Varför och under vilka omständigheter kan rivalitet och konflikter mellan olika grupper utvecklas till ett mer eller mindre dödligt våld? Hur går det till när sådana konflikter eskalerar till folkmord? Och vilka mekanismer och metoder kan dämpa konflikter så att risken för så drastiska konsekvenser minimeras?
Det är mot bakgrund av dessa frågor som Daniel Chirot och Clark McCauley har skrivit denna bok. Genom att studera och analysera både moderna och historiska politiska massmord lyckas de urskilja en bakomliggande logik och skissera upp strategier som kan minimera riskerna för att spänningar och konflikter utvecklas till extremt våld.
Det är mot bakgrund av dessa frågor som Daniel Chirot och Clark McCauley har skrivit denna bok. Genom att studera och analysera både moderna och historiska politiska massmord lyckas de urskilja en bakomliggande logik och skissera upp strategier som kan minimera riskerna för att spänningar och konflikter utvecklas till extremt våld.
280 pages
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 18, 2024
The book examines the darkest aspects of human history and attempts to explain why genocides and mass political murder did happen in the past and still happen. The authors acknowledge that such discussions often arouse deep emotions but they are needed to prevent or reduce the dangers of mass murder in the future. They do not seem optimistic and warn the reader against a gloomy reality.
According to the authors:
The study outlines the four key motives that lead to mass political murder. These include convenience, revenge, simple fear, and fear of pollution. These four motives may overlap and coexist depending on the situation. For example, incentives of revenge and fear may overlap due to the perceived risk of not responding to violence with violence.
Each of these motives is discussed in detail, examples from different countries and different epochs are given. The scholars comment on such gruesome events as the ethnic cleansing of the Cherokees, the Stalin's purges, Nazi genocides, mass murder occurring in Darfur, etc.
We can see that behind cases of massacres or ethnic cleansing, a certain justification or rationalization could often be found. Acts of cruelty, which may seem to us a sort of vicious delirium, usually have some rationalization in the minds of their perpetrators. Of course, this does not detract anything from their blame.
It is possible to devise strategies to help lessen the chances of mass political murder and keep the outbreaks of violence at bay.
The authors emphasize that “there is no single reason that explains all genocidal acts, and therefore no single solution.”
All episodes of violent conflict, which usually have multiple causes, should be addressed with solutions combining different approaches. There cannot be an ultimate answer to such multi-dimensional problems.
Certain strategies that may lead to the prevention or reduction of mass violence are analyzed in detail. They are grouped into four categories. The first is directed at government leaders. The second group of suggestions deals with the growing pressure to impose some kind of global justice on those responsible for committing atrocities. Third are local proposals that can defuse the kinds of competitive tensions that feed conflict. These include the building of civil society and processes of democratization. Finally, the study discusses the role of ideology in shaping morality.
The subject of this book is tragic and sensitive but I was pleased to have found references to the authors whose works were somewhat familiar to me. Among them are Ch. Browning, S. Pinker, M. Holt, M. Greengrass, I. Kershaw, I. Buruma.
According to the authors:
The future holds more genocidal episodes, and some will be on a very large scale. Nothing in our research suggests that the reasons for such mass killings have disappeared or are likely to disappear any time soon.
The study outlines the four key motives that lead to mass political murder. These include convenience, revenge, simple fear, and fear of pollution. These four motives may overlap and coexist depending on the situation. For example, incentives of revenge and fear may overlap due to the perceived risk of not responding to violence with violence.
Each of these motives is discussed in detail, examples from different countries and different epochs are given. The scholars comment on such gruesome events as the ethnic cleansing of the Cherokees, the Stalin's purges, Nazi genocides, mass murder occurring in Darfur, etc.
We can see that behind cases of massacres or ethnic cleansing, a certain justification or rationalization could often be found. Acts of cruelty, which may seem to us a sort of vicious delirium, usually have some rationalization in the minds of their perpetrators. Of course, this does not detract anything from their blame.
It is possible to devise strategies to help lessen the chances of mass political murder and keep the outbreaks of violence at bay.
The authors emphasize that “there is no single reason that explains all genocidal acts, and therefore no single solution.”
All episodes of violent conflict, which usually have multiple causes, should be addressed with solutions combining different approaches. There cannot be an ultimate answer to such multi-dimensional problems.
Certain strategies that may lead to the prevention or reduction of mass violence are analyzed in detail. They are grouped into four categories. The first is directed at government leaders. The second group of suggestions deals with the growing pressure to impose some kind of global justice on those responsible for committing atrocities. Third are local proposals that can defuse the kinds of competitive tensions that feed conflict. These include the building of civil society and processes of democratization. Finally, the study discusses the role of ideology in shaping morality.
The subject of this book is tragic and sensitive but I was pleased to have found references to the authors whose works were somewhat familiar to me. Among them are Ch. Browning, S. Pinker, M. Holt, M. Greengrass, I. Kershaw, I. Buruma.
January 26, 2019
The book, despite being a bit over a decade old, is a solid view on how and why we humans commit to slaughtering our fellow man, the authors take in the view from sociological and psychologic reasoning why we do what we do, followed up with multiple historical precedences.
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January 23, 2021Great book that analyses impartially the different theories on why genocide and mass murder happens and how it can be avoided
This book gives plenty of sources for the most relevant theories, but also it is very depressing read. For a mass murder to happens it needs certain conditions and sometimes avoiding those conditions to develop is very hard or even impossible.
This book gives plenty of sources for the most relevant theories, but also it is very depressing read. For a mass murder to happens it needs certain conditions and sometimes avoiding those conditions to develop is very hard or even impossible.
August 6, 2022
I am curious about the argument, but I can't help but notice from page one there is weaseling.
So it's not murder. It's mass murder. And not just any mass murder, political murder. Leaving wide open the capacity to mass kill for democracy (that is for good, not for political purposes), the mass kill for defense (see Kabul, or Abu Gharib).
And I have a feeling Chirot will elegantly dance around the subject of the State (real), and favor something like ”war” (abstract), or ”dictator” (them people), simply because he is part of the State and he is living a good life precisely for the same reason mass killing happen.
So it's not murder. It's mass murder. And not just any mass murder, political murder. Leaving wide open the capacity to mass kill for democracy (that is for good, not for political purposes), the mass kill for defense (see Kabul, or Abu Gharib).
And I have a feeling Chirot will elegantly dance around the subject of the State (real), and favor something like ”war” (abstract), or ”dictator” (them people), simply because he is part of the State and he is living a good life precisely for the same reason mass killing happen.
March 28, 2025
Well written, slightly out of date in terms of it's descriptions of nations (the praise for Indian pluralism is a tad bit funny seeing as Hindu Nationalism is the dominant ideology there at the moment), but otherwise a good read.
November 14, 2016
I'm going to try and keep this review short compared to some of my other reviews.
The subtitle of this book is called "The Logic and Prevention of Mass Political Murder." To the authors' credit, they do a wonderful job of explaining the logic and causes of genocidal events. The reasons for the act of genocide, they argue, are usually some combination of convenience, revenge, fear of extermination, and a fear of polluted purity. I do the authors a disservice by not being terse, but Chirot and McCaulley really understood the importance of individualism rather than collectivism. They show collectivizing oneself into a group and collectivizing others into another group, whether it be on ethnic, racial, religious, ideological, economic, regional grounds, creates conditions that make genocide more likely.
The fourth chapter of the book which talked about the prevention of mass murder was far less resolute. They proposed six strategies; three processes and two attitudes for each. The three processes were inclusion, distinction, and exclusion, while the attitudes were either tolerant or intolerant. What made this section irresolute was that there was no simple answer; the conditions of one mass murder are not the same as the conditions for another. So one strategy might work in say Bosnia, but another would be more appropriate for the violence in Darfur.
The subtitle of this book is called "The Logic and Prevention of Mass Political Murder." To the authors' credit, they do a wonderful job of explaining the logic and causes of genocidal events. The reasons for the act of genocide, they argue, are usually some combination of convenience, revenge, fear of extermination, and a fear of polluted purity. I do the authors a disservice by not being terse, but Chirot and McCaulley really understood the importance of individualism rather than collectivism. They show collectivizing oneself into a group and collectivizing others into another group, whether it be on ethnic, racial, religious, ideological, economic, regional grounds, creates conditions that make genocide more likely.
The fourth chapter of the book which talked about the prevention of mass murder was far less resolute. They proposed six strategies; three processes and two attitudes for each. The three processes were inclusion, distinction, and exclusion, while the attitudes were either tolerant or intolerant. What made this section irresolute was that there was no simple answer; the conditions of one mass murder are not the same as the conditions for another. So one strategy might work in say Bosnia, but another would be more appropriate for the violence in Darfur.
February 3, 2013
Despite the title and cover this is a pretty enlightening book and has a rare, positive feel to it. The authors do a good job exploring the basics to explaining, justifying, and limiting genocide and mass atrocities. Somewhat long-winded at times, the book reads smoothly enough and offers some insight into why mass killing occurs a lot more frequent than we normally would think.
May 8, 2007
Had a bit of useful information on conflict prevention, based on one of the authors' experience in Cote d'Ivoire. Otherwise, managed to be both breezy/lightweight and a total bore at the same time. Still, I got some good quotes about the importance of civil society out of it.
February 21, 2009
A good read and interesting theory. Its psychological and sociological viewpoint does a much better job of explaining how human beings are capable of engaging in mass murder - and what a fundamental part of the human condition such behavior is.
August 25, 2011
interesting, but a bit repetitive. lots of historical examples.
December 2, 2012
Ehdottomasti puhutteleva.
May 22, 2015
Gives a great insight behind the worlds largest Genocides, and how they occur
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews