"A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide" is a Pulitzer Prize-winning book written by Samantha Power, an Irish-American journalist, writer, and diplomat. Published in 2002, the book explores the history of genocide in the 20th century and examines why the United States and other nations have often failed to prevent or respond effectively to genocidal atrocities. Power analyzes various cases of genocide, including the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, the Cambodian Genocide, and the genocide in Rwanda, among others. She critiques the responses of governments and international organizations to these atrocities and argues that political interests, lack of political will, and a failure of moral leadership have often hindered effective action to stop genocide. The title "A Problem from Hell" is derived from a quote by former U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher, who, when asked about the situation in Bosnia during the Balkan Wars, referred to it as "a problem from hell" due to the complexity and difficulty of the situation. This phrase encapsulates Power's argument that genocide presents a unique and challenging moral and political problem that the international community has struggled to address adequately.
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