Synopses & Reviews
"In this important primer, Destexhe, secretary-general of the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders, assails world complacency about the tragedy in Rwanda."
Publishers Weekly
The horrific slaughter in Rwanda has once again driven home the deeply rooted existence and continuing presence of genocidal impulses. In this passionately argued volume-first published to great acclaim in France and considerably updated during the translation process-a deeply involved witness of the massacres takes an unflinching look at recent events in Rwanda and what they can tell us about the nature of genocide.
Table of Contents
Foreword
By William Shawcross
1. The Unlearned Lesson of History
2. Three Genocides in the Twentieth Century
3. The Hutu and the Tutsi
4. From Indifference to Compassion
5. Justice Must be Done
Appendix 1: Convention on the Prevention and the Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
Appendix 2: Chronology
Notes
Index
Review
"In this important primer, Destexhe, secretary-general of the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders, assails world complacency about the tragedy in Rwanda."-Publishers Weekly,
Review
“A book that can spur good discussion and stimulate critical thinking.”
-Law and Politics Book Review,
Review
“A finely reasoned argument on the ills of punishment. . . . An informative and thought provoking read.”
-New York Law Journal,
Review
“Philosophers of law too often assume that criminal punishment is of course justified and then argue over exactly what is the best justification for the practice—utilitarian deterrence, retribution, moral education, etc. It is important that this shared assumption be challenged and that serious consideration be given to the possibility that criminal punishment may not be justified at all. Although Professor Golash has by no means persuaded me that all criminal punishment should be totally abolished, her book is to be welcomed as an attempt to provoke serious reflection on this basic issue.”
-Jeffrie G. Murphy,Regents Professor of Law, Philosophy, and Religious Studies, Arizona State University
Review
“A work of sweeping vision and profound insight. Punishment, Golash demonstrates convincingly, is wrong in itself and counterproductive as well. That her fine book closes with a thoughtful sketch of a world without punishment is a testament to the author's intellectual range and originality.”
-Robert Johnson,author of Hard Time: Understanding and Reforming the Prison
Synopsis
An unflinching look at the events in Rwanda and the nature of genocide
The horrific slaughter in Rwanda has once again driven home the deeply rooted existence and continuing presence of genocidal impulses. In this passionately argued volume-first published to great acclaim in France and considerably updated during the translation process-a deeply involved witness of the massacres takes an unflinching look at recent events in Rwanda and what they can tell us about the nature of genocide.
Synopsis
The horrific slaughter in Rwanda has once again driven home the deeply rooted existence and continuing presence of genocidal impulses. In this passionately argued volume-first published to great acclaim in France and considerably updated during the translation process-a deeply involved witness of the massacres takes an unflinching look at recent events in Rwanda and what they can tell us about the nature of genocide.
Table of Contents
Foreword
By William Shawcross
1. The Unlearned Lesson of History
2. Three Genocides in the Twentieth Century
3. The Hutu and the Tutsi
4. From Indifference to Compassion
5. Justice Must be Done
Appendix 1: Convention on the Prevention and the Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
Appendix 2: Chronology
Notes
Index
Synopsis
In this slim, passionately argued volume - first published to great acclaim in France and considerably updated during the translation process - a deeply involved witness of the massacres takes an unflinching look at recent events in Rwanda and what they can tell us about the nature of genocide. Drawing on his experiences in the killing fields, Destexhe illustrates how genocide is trivialized by superficial contemporary definitions and by modern media and its compulsion to describe any mass killing as genocide. Genocide, Destexhe argues, is the most evil of all crimes as it is directed at the very heart of what it is to be human. Reviewing the three most destructive genocidal campaigns of the twientieth century - the Turkish mass murder of Armenians; the Nazi Holocaust; and the Rwandan cataclysm - the book discusses such central issues as culpability and collective responsibility, the limits of humanitarian intervention, and the complexities of punishing genocidal agents after the fact.
Synopsis
What ends do we expect and hope to serve in punishing criminal wrongdoers? Does the punishment of offenders do more harm than good for American society? In
The Case against Punishment, Deirdre Golash addresses these and other questions about the value of punishment in contemporary society.
Drawing on both empirical evidence and philosophical literature, this book argues that the harm done by punishing criminal offenders is ultimately morally unjustified. Asserting that punishment inflicts both intended and unintended harms on offenders, Golash suggests that crime can be reduced by addressing social problems correlated with high crime rates, such as income inequality and local social disorganization. Punishment may reduce crime, but in so doing, causes a comparable amount of harm to offenders. Instead, Golash suggests, we should address criminal acts through trial, conviction, and compensation to the victim, while also providing the criminal with the opportunity to reconcile with society through morally good action rather than punishment.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-88) and index.
About the Author
Deirdre Golash is associate professor in the Department of Justice, Law, and Society at American University in Washington, DC.