Saturday, March 11, 2006

Death of a Monster?

Slobodan Milosevic has died.

Of course, the media are now going around saying, "he's escaped justice". This attitude betrays such a foolish notion. What could human justice have done to him if he had been found guilty? Imprison him? Sentence him to death? The man had been in prison for five years and now he's dead?

There's something in human society that desires to see the look on the face of a man who has just been found guilty, for him to know that he's been caught fair and square. Is this what we wanted to see from Milosovic? Humanity was denied the trial of Hilter himself, though it did try and execute several of his henchmen.

What would trying Hitler or Milosevic actually achieved? Retribution, recompense, revenge?

Did we expect to put him in prison to correct him, to punish him, to rehabilitate him into society?

Let's face it, humanity has very little idea what true justice is. Once it's got someone whom it regards as a monster in its grasp (like Saddam Hussein) it either procrastinates so that it can decide what to do with him, or the lynch-mob does the job first.

If, as is widely believed, Milosevic and Hussain are the architects of much pain and suffering then how can the punishment of one man make up for all the suffering that he has caused?

Ah.....

Ecce Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi.

Why don't we leave the justice to God? He's got both Hussein's and Milosevic's judgment worked out, and a little thing like death will not stop it. Trouble is, He has got our judgment sorted out as well. What will that mean?

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