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In an angry, stimulating book, Askenasy assertsthat some of the same psychological and social factorsthat made the Holocaust possible are still active andinfluential in modern nations, including the UnitedStates.~ 7. 85 *Bedau, Hugo Adam. "Genocide in Vietnam?" InPhilosophy, Morality, and International Affairs. Ed.by Virginia Held, Sidney Morgenbesser, and ThomasNagel. New York: Oxford University Press, 1974. LC73-90349. ISBN 0-19-501759-5.In an erudite paper, Bedau denies allegations thatU. S. actions during its war in Vietnam, such as massbombing, free-fire zones, and defoliation, constituteda case of genocide. He concludes that while suchactions resulted in indiscriminate mass killing ofcivilians, there was not clear evidence of intent todestroy a group, in whole or in part, as required bythe Genocide Convention for a finding of genocide.Bedau does suggest, however, that "The gap betweenthe results of the present discussion and a verdict ofgenocide is not very wide" (p. 45)+786~Bauman, Zygmunt. Modernity and the Holocaust.Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1989. LC 89-7274. ISBN 0-8014-2397-X.Bauman's sociological analysis of the Holocaustilluminates other cases of twentieth century genocideand other forms of mass killing, like modern warfare.After decrying the relative neglect of the Holocaust bysociologists, Bauman states that he will "treat theHolocaust as a rare but significant and reliable testofthe hiddenpossibilitiesofmodern society. " (emphasisin the original, p. 12) In the remainder of thechapter, he proceeds to examine "the meaning of thecivilizing process, " the "social production of moral"indifference, the "social production of moral invisibility," and the "moral consequences of the civilizingprocess. " (p. 18-30) In late'r chapters, he examines suchthemes as the "peculiarity of modern genocide, ""dehumanization of bureaucratic objects, " "the role ofbureaucracy in the Holocaust, " and "inhumanity as afunction of social distance. "~787~Charny, Israel W. , in collaboration with ChananRapaport. How Can We Commit the Unthinkable?Genocide, the Human Cancer. Boulder, CO: WestviewPress, 1982. LC 81-19784. ISBN 0-86531-358-X.In this indispensable work, a pioneer in the fieldof genocide studies explores in detail social andpsychological forces that enable ostensibly normal menand women to participate in genocides and other formsof mass killing. One of his provocative psychologicalconclusions is that mass murder of designated victimsmay be an attempt to cope with and master death-anxietyand other forms of insecurity in the victimizinggroup. (p. 91-182) The final section of the book istitled, "Why Can There Still Be Hope?" and includestwo chapters that explore the concept of "nonviolentaggression" and one that advocates a "genocide earlywarning system. " The text is followed by a lengthysection of richly annotated footnotes.+ 7. 88 *Charny, Israel W. "Understanding the Psychology ofGenocidal"Destructiveness. In Genocide: A CriticalBibliographic Review. Ed. by Israel W. Charny.London: Mansell and New York: Facts on File, 1988.ISBN 0-7201-186-X (Mansell).This concise account of Charny's thought onpsychological and social factors in mass killing updatesthe entry above, 7. 87. It consists of a narrative essay,followed by an annotated bibliography.* 7. 89 *Collins, Randall. "Three Faces of Cruelty: Towardsa Comparative Sociology of Evil. " Theory and Society1 (1974): 415-440.In a crucial theoretical and empirical contributionto the understanding of collective violence and masskilling, Collins examines three dimensions of humancruelty: ferociousness —"This is the dimension of overtbrutality. ..;" callousness —"brutality routinized andbureaucratized, cruelty without passion;" and asceticism—"the turning of cruelty against oneself and againstothers with whom one has solidarity. " (p. 419) Of thethree, callousness is most characteristic of modernsociety, in large part because modern societies tend tobe bureaucratically organized, and because "thestructural organization of bureaucracy seems uniquelysuited for the perpetration of callous violence" (p. 432)~ 7. 90 *Coser, Lewis. "The Visibility of Evil." Journal ofSocial Issues 25, no. 1 (1969): 101-109.In a pioneering, and still timely, contribution,Coser examines how "good, " "normal" individuals canbe induced to inflict cruelty and death on other humanbeings. A fundamental process, he finds, is the "denialof common humanity" between the killers and theirvictims. Coser analyzes a number of social and culturalfactors that facilitate such dehumanization, includingculturally-inculcated stereotypes, "restrictions on thespan of" sympathy, and simple "denial of"knowledge.144 GENOCIDE