November,1995 |
Wade and Woods Dissent from
Karcich on American Role in Bosnia
By Alexia Clarke
In recent interviews conducted by The Criterion, history teachers Mr. Tom Wade and Mr. Robert Woods dissented from principal Mr. Andy Karcich's view of American involvement in the war in Bosnia.
The war in the Balkans stems from a deep rooted ethnic and religious conflict involving Serbs, Croats, and Muslims. The United Nations has been trying to serve as a mediator between the three groups and has formulated a peace plan which divides the region into three sections aiming for a peaceful, multi-religious, multi-ethnic Bosnia. The execution of the plan would involve a commitment of a large number of American ground troops.
Despite his Croatian heritage, Karcich is steadfast in his belief American troops should not be put in the line of fire in Bosnia. "The Clinton Administration is unrealistic. These people have been killing each other for years, why would they stop now? Bismarck said, 'Getting involved in the Balkans was not worth the bones of one Pomeranian grenadier.' It is none of our business. They have no respect for the U.S. because our participation in this war has been inconsistent and weak." Woods believes America has to get involved. "I agree the Clinton administration has been weak and inconsistent in its handling of the war. That's not to say we can't change that."
Karcich pointed to the president's indecision as a problem in American policy in the region. "Clinton should make a decision, his fickle behavior makes our being of any help improbable. A lack of commitment caused Vietnam's failure; it would be better not to commit to Bosnia," he said.
Woods explained the president's tentative stance saying, "The Russians and Serbs are both Slavic. Clinton hesitated so as not to make decisions difficult for Yeltsin, who has a very slight hold on Russia as it is. He does not want this to evolve into another World War."
Karcich countered saying, "Yeltsin is no devotee of the republican form of government. He's a former communist trying to hang on to his limo."
During the course of the war, human rights violations have been committed, including rape and genocide.
Karcich condemned the atrocities committed in Bosnia but said, "Are we the world's policemen? We can't be expected to be responsible for everyone. We have problems of our own." Wade conceded American ground troops abroad are difficult to justify. "I think it's difficult to be responsible for everyone, especially when we are not always responsible to our own country. There are still hungry and homeless people within our own borders, not only adults, but also children," he said.
Woods disagreed. "It's one thing to be a policeman; it's another to be a moral voice in the world. We can't turn our backs on these crimes. It's not even a matter of democracy, it's being consistent to our human rights approach to the world," he said.
Karcich responded saying, "Mr. Woods is a big fan of JFK. He sounds like JFK. Rhetoric similar to his got us involved in Vietnam."
When asked if he thought the peace plan would help, Woods said, "It's a start. It's something all sides can agree on, but there's going to have to be U.S. presence there for sometime for it to work."
As a way to resolve the conflict, the idea of relocation has emerged. Karcich compared the peace plan to the carving up of Africa and argued relocation will engender further conflicts. "What will you do about the people who already live there?" asked Karcich. Wade countered saying, "We are not going into Bosnia for gain, but for peace, so we cannot compare the division of Bosnia to the division of Africa, which was done for colonial gain." Despite his concern for large number of U.S. ground troops supporting the peace plan, Wade asked, "What other choice do we have, aside from complete annihilation of one or more of these groups? Its a poor substitute, but it may be a substitute for genocide and other atrocities."
Karcich reiterated his call for a focus on domestic problems. "Mr. Wade is concerned about the possibility of genocide in Bosnia. I am more concerned with the annihilation of young urban American males. I am concerned about the epidemic use of drugs, the prostitution of our culture, the wasteland that is TV, and most critically the disintegration of the American family. Why spend money on Bosnia when the money could be applied right here," he said.
