Conclusion

Abstract

Theories that attribute famine to sinister leaders in distant lands can be attractive. They are part of a ritual of self-affirmation, because they confirm the superiority of our civilization or political system vis-à-vis “the other.” They paint things in black and white. For this reason, they are also politically expedient, and this perspective goes beyond famine. Deaths we attribute to the murderous policies of other regimes can be chalked up to “collateral damage” when they are inflicted by us. These theories, though convenient and exceedingly digestible, are rarely if ever entirely accurate.