Politics_Observer wrote:@Juin
There is a lot I can tell you. We got a few board members here who are from that area. Some fled the wars there or the aftermath of the war there because there was no future for them. I correspond with a Bosnian woman from time to time who lost her home in Bosnia when she was a kid, which was taken from her by the Serbs. She now lives here in the United States and is pursuing her Ph.D in genocide studies. She also taught high school kids here in the United States before moving on to pursue her doctorate degree. Very intelligent woman. I have also been to Tuzla, Osmaci, Zvenica (not sure if I spelled that correctly), Zvornik and Brcko (pronouced birch-coe).
I think back on those experiences back then and they are experiences I will never forget. I am glad I went. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I remember drinking red wine the French Marines. I also remember seeing dead bodies in mass graves. That was part of the job though and comes with the nature of the job. I also walked down Sniper Alley and drove past the newspaper building there that was blown to pieces by the Serbs at the time. It was targeted during the war because it was telling the truth about the war and the Serbs wanted to silence it (probably in the minds of the Serbs, they might have viewed it as propaganda) but in my view they were telling the truth.
There was terrible crimes committed during the war but war is also pure evil. I personally don't think most Serbs are bad people. From what I saw, they were just normal people at the time, caught in a bad, shitty mess trying to survive and do what they could to survive given the cards they were dealt. They are human beings just like you and me. Serbs are not inherently bad people. Nor are the Bosnian Muslims or Croats. You know, it was crooked politicians that created a shitty mess. You know. Good people on all sides died senselessly because of crooked politicians. That's about the long and the short of it. But the people there are good people and I remember them as good people who were just caught in a terrible and bad situation because of crooked politicians.
I also ate plenty of cvapis and drank plenty of Turkish coffee when I was there too. Drina cigarettes were also a thing for many of the natives in Bosnia. They certinaly like to smoke their Drinas.
If I go by my memory I recall a location spelled something like "Sverenica".
True, war is evil, and this has been the case throughout Balkan history. Memories are long in that part of the world. We talking centuries old grudges. With American intervention a certain peace and quiet reigns. The Pax Americana does come with benefits. But dont count on it to last forever. America has lots of faults, and many have pointed them out ad infinitum, but I cannot help but recall the Winston Churchill quote:
‘Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…’
Winston S Churchill, 11 November 1947------
I can equally say that America, as well as its Pax Americana, may be argued by some to be the worst form of Imperium that ever was, but I will say that is except for all the other shining examples like Mongols, Russia, Nazis, Turks etc... A certain peace and calm today reigns in the Balkans, that is all thanks to America.
The day American power wanes and its footprints are lifted from the Balkans, I bet you, you will be surprised how fast the various tribes there will pull out the hideous instruments of war to settle old grudges going back centuries. Rest assured that each of the tribes in the Balkans knows exactly who owes them an atrocity or atrocities from some distant past; who is sitting on a piece of real estate they consider theirs. That is just the nature of humans.
For whatever it is worth America did create peace and stability there that is still holding. You contributed your bit, that is all anyone can ask.