...great and sustained destruction requires great ambition. It must be conceived as the means toward achieving a new order, and although the idea behind that new order may be criminal and objectively very stupid, it must also be compellingly simple and at the same time absolute. The ideology of genocide is all of those things.
In Philip Gourevitch's book, the quote emphasizes that achieving large-scale destruction is driven by intense ambition and an overarching goal. It highlights that such destructive plans, even while fundamentally flawed or morally reprehensible, require a simple and absolute ideological framework to legitimize them. This reflects how ideologies can shape and justify horrific actions, often rooted in brutal aspirations for a new societal order.
The author points out that the ideology of genocide embodies these characteristics, as it is both straightforward in its conception and compelling enough to motivate individuals towards terrible acts. This perspective underscores the importance of understanding how dangerous ideas can catalyze significant violence and suffering when they are adopted by those in power.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
