Part Two: Radovan Karadžić: The Genocidal Dictator Who Became a New-Age Guru

Sophie (0:01)

Causa Media.

Robert Evans (0:05)

And we're back. This is part two of Behind the Bastards on Radovan Karadžić, and I know what everyone's been asking, at least everyone watching on the Netflix, since the first episode, probably on the subreddit who's been going crazy over like, Robert's in a new room, why is Robert in a new room? And like, guys, look, it's nothing crazy. I'm not on the run from anywhere, right? Obviously, I haven't committed a series of horrible crimes like Jamie, that I've had to go into hiding over, you know. I'm just in a different room.

Jamie (0:32)

This is okay. You're deflecting, you're deflecting.

Robert Evans (0:36)

You're deflecting.

Jamie (0:37)

And now, and what happens when you deflect and accuse me of your crimes, is that I don't hear the end of it for, I think this might be for half a decade.

Sophie (0:47)

Decades.

Jamie (0:48)

Not a week goes by that there isn't some neckbeard side-eyeing me in the grocery store.

Robert Evans (0:55)

Cause that ax thing, yeah.

Jamie (0:59)

And I love each and every one of them, and I'm so nice.

Sophie (1:02)

I'm so sorry. But it's...

Robert Evans (1:04)

Oh man.

Jamie (1:05)

I think I weirdly got it the worst in Pittsburgh somehow.

Sophie (1:08)

Yeah, that makes sense actually.

Robert Evans (1:10)

I got a lot of Pittsburgh fans. A lot of people standing up for the show in Pittsburgh. The Yinzers love it.

Jamie (1:14)

The Yinzers were really shaking in their boots when I came around. Look, where, you know, so where's your secret room at?

Sophie (1:24)

I think it's underneath the Denver Airport.

Robert Evans (1:26)

Yeah, yeah, it's underneath, yeah, yeah. I bought, actually own the Denver Airport now. Power Builders are eating me alive. Yeah, it was a lot cheaper than you'd expect. Yeah. Love your horse.

Jamie (1:37)

Love the horse statue.

Sophie (1:38)

Thank you, thank you. Yeah, I do.

Robert Evans (1:40)

That's what really sold me on it too, actually.

Sophie (1:42)

Yeah.

Robert Evans (1:51)

We've been talking about Radovan Karadžić, who at this point in the story is a psychiatrist who has been slightly disgraced for his criminal activity, may be informed on his friends for the regime, and yeah, is eyeing the coming disillusion of Yugoslavia and being like, how can I make this work for me? Right?

Jamie (2:11)

It is interesting that he ends part one basically just as kind of like a white-collar criminal.

Sophie (2:20)

He likes poems. He's starting to get some ideas. Shitty dad.

Jamie (2:24)

Yeah. He's like flopped at a couple things. I'm curious. He's a fed, but many such white-collar criminals.

Robert Evans (2:32)

Yeah. If you had to guess what political party in our system, a guy like this who believes some weird things about natural healing and magic and has committed a series of white-collar crimes and may be informed on people for the government, if you wanted to guess what party in the US he would join, right, to start his political career, what would you guess?

Jamie (2:58)

Oh, gosh. I mean, there's a strong whiff of upper middle class centrist to that kind of behavior.

Not a centrist. Well, yeah, he's a dictator. What's the Kuki?

Robert Evans (3:12)

What party would like a Kuki?

Jamie (3:13)

Is he like a libertarian kind of guy?

Robert Evans (3:15)

No.

Sophie (3:16)

I'm getting like maha vibes.

Robert Evans (3:19)

He joins the Green Party.

There's an actual Green Party. Like it is the Green Party in Yugoslavia that he joins. And it's kind of the same as our Green Party, as far as I can tell. And that it's all the people who were into like weird woo bullshit, right? Like they love trees and not taking medicine that works. Like those are the two big uniting factors of the Green Party, both here and over there.

Jamie (3:44)

Knowing that he loves trees is kind of the one sincere thing I feel like I truly know about this man. He was pissed about those oaks and you know what? I think he was right.

Robert Evans (3:54)

Yeah, and he would have been a Jill Stein voter.

So I don't know why having a nutty Green Party is endemic to democracy, but as soon as Yugoslavia starts to get the slightest bit of democracy, they're like, well, we got to have a party for the Cougs, right? We got to have our crank party.

Jamie (4:10)

They got to go somewhere.

Robert Evans (4:12)

They got to go somewhere and it's going to be a fucking Green Party. So he joins the Green Party first. Okay.