Does anyone who was fifteen when he was at the height of his murderous powers, KNOW about Radovan Karadzic?
How fast history moves – and given the unprecedented explosion of communications, would it be any wonder if some felt they didn’t need to know about him.
Yet what is unfolding at the International Court of Justice at the Hague is the trial of the man who is said to have been responsible for the greatest wave of killings of his fellow human beings in Europe since the Second World War.
When Karadzic ‘ruled’ the Serbian Republic of Bosnia, there was almost no internet, virtually no email, mobile phones the size of bricks, no texting and no Blackberries.
Is the importance of his trial increased or decreased by these devices for those who were not seriously politically engaged at the time of his terror?
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Given the fact that there have emerged other war criminals like Tony Blair and George Bush etc. who are getting away with justice, it’s small wonder that those under 30 probably don’t care about Radovan. This is the double standards of the west.
ANYONE who carries out orders to have other humans killed in under pretext of lies, should be arrested and imprisoned. There should be no special treatment for former leaders or their cronies.
I am 26 now and remember all too well the terrible televised scenes of destruction. The far greater concern, beyond that of the accountability of modern media reporting via mobile phones and internet, is that it has taken so long for Karadzic to come to trial and receive justice through the international courts.
Does anyone over 30? ….. try him, jail him. Stop the circus.
Those people under 30 who were killed in the genocide care deeply, as will the families and friends who survived.
I am 26 and yes I do care – that the truth around what happened in Bosnia seems to have been buried under an overwhelming pile of Western propaganda. Modern technology has nothing to do with it; except it may have made it easier to do this. I am dismayed – no, sickened – by tonight’s report on C4 News, spouting the same old rubbish, towing the US/NATO line. You might argue that you’re merely showing us what you’ve been presented with, but I would say try some journalism, try some digging. Try questioning the story. Try reading Diana Johnstone’s article on Srebrenica:
http://www.counterpunch.org/johnstone10122005.html
and Michael Parenti’s book on Yugoslavia:
http://www.michaelparenti.org/ToKillANation.html
I was not aware of the world around me when this was happening, but I am trying to make up for it by reading anything that looks reliable. Thanks to Iraq et al, I know that almost nothing from an official Western source can be trusted.
I’m a fan of C4 News (and J Snow) because you often show stories not seen on the BBC, or report them with greater insight (though it’s not hard to be compared favourably with the BBC) but tonight you completely let me down.
I’m afraid there are many people – even over 30 – who are probably unconcerned about what is happening in the Hague.
I saw a huge poster the other day with the caption Use Your Vote. I was impressed, thinking someone was urging local democracy. But closer examination showed it was for the X factor.
And sad to say, more people do care about wannabe pop stars than politics.
I honestly think that anyone under 30 care about Radovan Karadzic is simply not true….
=Dennis Junior=
As someone who was five at the outbreak of the Bosnian War, I can’t see why that makes his crimes irrelevant to me—to the point where I wrote my undergraduate thesis on the Bosnian War and have been following his trial with rapt interest (and ever-increasing dismay).
Does anyone under eighty care about Hitler? Does anyone under sixty care about Mao?
@ Anthony Martin – Your decision to shift the debate away from the crimes of Karadzic and to focus on Bush/Blair, is to diminish the seriousness of the atrocities carried out by Karadzic and his cohorts – plus the reasons WHY they acted as they did.
These people invented the term “ethnic cleaning” (mistranslated into English to “ethnic cleansing”). They were openly genocidal. Karadzic needs to be held accountable for his crimes.
To shift the debate away from “ethnic cleaning” and genocide is to simply perpetuate the concerns Jon Snow raises in his post.
If you read the bottom portion correctly, you’ll see that I address ‘ANYONE’ who perpetrates acts of war crime should be arrested. I’m certainly not deliberately trying to shift any focus from genocide by these evil bast***s.
The fact that a million people are dead in Iraq and an ongoig illegal conflict in Afghanistan, stands testament to the criminality of western lies and war criminals. We were lied to time and again by Bush & Blair. They too should be in the Dock with Radovan.
Jon I think you are forgetting the people who seek justice for such war crimes aren’t in the UK or America, they are in Bosnia. And the Bosnians who lost family members or friends to this blood lust and racism haven’t forgotten and demand justice, irregardless of modern technology.
There is no doubt that modern methods of communication have highlighted the suffering others have to endure throughout the world.
However there are a section who use the communication purely for fun. We have to switch off sometimes. Teenagers want to enjoy their life.
I remember going to Yugoslavia as a teenager with my parents and again on my honeymoon. I thought those little Islands around the Istria peninsula were heaven on earth.
This is what man does to man, but a quote for you JON.
” I will show you the things that are now being done, And some of the things that were long ago done”
(The Eagle soars in the summit of heaven) T.S Elliot.
I wonder how many people know what started the conflict in the first place. After this length of time details get lost or buried on purpose by those with vested interests.
Surely it must be possible to highlight what caused the Serbs to do what they did. There must be a reason but many of us do not know what it was and something tells me the powers that be like it that way.
For starters, Radovan should not be allowed to stall the trial by saying he is “not ready”. We are all giving a very bad example to the under 30s and younger of how justice should be interpreted, we are talking GENOCIDE here not some car thief.. and by the way, anyone seen Ratko Mladic?
adzmundo CND
I just wanted to quickly add that our younger generations are also growing up with “water boarding” as being interogation and not torture. Just the thought of having a wet cloth violently stuck in my mouth and subsequent gallons of water poured over my face makes me think “hang on, have I missed something here or is the power of money and “developed world” really getting away with it”?
adzmundo CND
adzmundo CND
Its good to see a younger generation caring about what happens afar. This enthusiasm requires direction, flow and momentum.The vector then needs to be put into a package which can realistically and sensitively address world problems.
Emotion can be as destructive as it is creative and the vehemence that those feel towards Radovan , be misdirected. Careless trajectory of emotion causes civil wars.
In reality i don’t care what happens to him and i’m over 60.I do care that the hague is no better than banana republics in staging a show trial to flex their muscles.If they were serious about bringing the guilty to justice , there are many more leaders ,as those of N.Korea ,Zimbabwe,Somalia , not forgetting Bush and Blair who lied through their teeth to get rid of Hussain who should be locked up awaiting trial
To downplay the trial of Radovan Karadicz, and the crimes with which he is charged, is disingenous.
If you think this gentleman has been the victim of a propaganda campaign, well let us test that in court.
Adrian Carke wants the leaders of Somalia, North Korea and Zimbabwe, not to speak of Mr Bush and Mr Blair brought to trial. I am mystified as to how he thinks this could be done.
As he is already convinced of their guilt, why does he want them to recieve a trial?
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