The Guilt of Nations: Restitution and Negotiating Historical Injustices - Softcover

Barkan, Elazar

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0801868076 ISBN 13: 9780801868078

Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001

Synopsis

How do nations and aggrieved parties, in the wake of heinous crimes and horrible injustices, make amends in a positive way to acknowledge wrong-doings and redefine future interactions? How does the growing practice of making restitution restore a sense of morality and enhance prospects for world peace? Where has restitution worked and where has it not?

Since the end of World War II, the victims of historical injustices and crimes against humanity have increasingly turned to restitution, financial and otherwise, as a means of remedying past suffering. In The Guilt of Nations, Elazar Barkan offers a sweeping look at the idea of restitution and its impact on the concept of human rights and the practice of both national and international politics. Through in-depth explorations of reparation demands for a wide variety of past wrongs—the Holocaust; Japanese enslavement of "comfort women" in Korea and the Philippines; the internment of Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor; German art in Russian museums and Nazi gold in Swiss banks; the oppression of indigenous peoples in Australia, New Zealand, the U.S. mainland, and Hawaii; and the enduring legacy of slavery and institutional racism among African Americans—Barkan confronts the difficulties in determining victims and assigning blame in the aftermath of such events, understanding what might justly be restored through restitutions, and assessing how these morally and politically charged acknowledgments of guilt can redefine national histories and identities.

About this title

Review

Well-researched and discriminating.

(Michael Ignatieff New York Times Book Review)

Both an invaluably detailed catalog of various groups' past and present claims for restitution and a theoretical consideration of the idea's practicality and morality, this book will no doubt take its place as the starting point for a full understanding of these highly complex issues.

(Jonathan Groner Salon)

Tightly focused, highly readable.

(Shashi Tharoor Los Angeles Times Book Review)

A remarkably lucid and even-handed account... Barkan makes a persuasive case that, despite all the difficulties, the recent vogue for apologies and restitution should be welcomed.

(Economist)

[One of] the most important books of the year... Magisterial... Destined to dominate future discussion... Primed to become a bible for all, from Holocaust survivors to African American activists, who believe reparations for historical wrongdoing are possible.

(Carlin Romano Philadelphia Inquirer)

An important and very necessary addition to post-Cold War political discourse.

(Kirkus Reviews)

Barkan's presentation of these cases [for restitution] is comprehensive and interdisciplinary. His knowledge of local cultures, history, sociology, and international law meets the book's high demands. Although there is no doubt that he welcomes the whole process of restitution, his evaluations of the complicated cases are quite well balanced.

(Waldemar Hanasz American Political Science Review)

A welcome contribution to the literature... Most works focus on one case study or possibly a handful of very similar ones, but rarely attempt comparison across a wide spectrum of historical injustices. The book's comparative framework allows us to see how seemingly different cases engage many similar issues, and how 'reciprocity' and negotiation can take myriad forms. Its clear writing style and even-handed accounts makes The Guilt of Nations an excellent book for graduate and undergraduate courses on large-scale violence.

(Ernesto Verdeja H-Genocide, H-Net Reviews)

Synopsis

Since the end of World War II, the victims of historical injustices and crimes against humanity have increasingly turned to restitution, financial and otherwise, as a means of remedying past suffering. This study offers a sweeping look at the idea of restitution and its impact on the concept of human rights and the practise of both national and international politics. Through in-depth explorations of reparation demands for a wide variety of past wrongs - the Holocaust; Japanese enslavement of "comfort women" in Korea and the Philippines; the internment of Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor; German art in Russian museums and Nazi gold in Swiss banks; the oppression of indigenous peoples in Australia, New Zealand, the US mainland, and Hawaii; and the enduring legacy of slavery and institutional racism among African Americans - the author confronts the difficulties in determining victims and assigning blame in the aftermath of such events, understanding what might justly be restored through restitutions, and assessing how these morally and politically charged acknowledgements of guilt can redefine national histories and identities.

About this edition

• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0801868076
• ISBN 13: 9780801868078
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 456