ABSTRACT
The concept of genocide is admittedly empirically ubiquitous and politically troublesome. Genocide is mass destruction of a special sort, one that reflects some sort of political support base within a given ruling class or national group. One sociological approach to genocide is to link it to victimology, that is, to a study of those who suffer at the hands of criminals — political as well as sociological. The advantage of using extrajudicial execution as a category equivalent to genocide is that it enables one to render the genocidal concept in precise numerical terms. Sanctions for genocide are strengthened, and the prohibition against genocide is lifted once the state embarks on such a course of action. The distinction between genocide and the Holocaust is the difference between denationalization of selected groups among those out of favor, and the total physical annihilation of members of a community, people, or nation. Genocide represents a systematic effort over time to liquidate a national population.
