Year Zero: The Khmer Rouge's Radical Transformation

This chapter examines Pol Pot’s radical vision for Cambodia, known as Year Zero, and the Khmer Rouge's efforts to reshape society through extreme measures. It discusses the manipulative rhetoric used to justify the elimination of historical structures and the imposition of a totalitarian ideology, leading to widespread suffering. The chapter also highlights the dangers of concentrated authority and the historical parallels to other oppressive regimes, stressing the need to recognize and resist such ideologies today.