
Belgian Congo, 1904. A child whose limbs were cut off as punishment for his parents who repeatedly failed to meet the rubber quota.

Belgian Congo, 1904. A child whose limbs were cut off as punishment for his parents who repeatedly failed to meet the rubber quota.
… sorry, but there is no mercy. :-(
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Yes, it is very sad, I found this photo in my collection after I read this article in Smithsonian magazine by Jocelyn C. Zuckerman with very good portraiture by Laura Stevens and Thomas Freteur …
I do believe something needs to be done to bring all guilty to justice, including all royal criminals perpetuating this ideology and criminal behaviour.
I’ve read the article.
I agree when it comes to symbolic reparations and public acknowledgment. It’s unreasonable to demand compensation from descendants who had no involvement in the actions of their ancestors. Take Hitler, for example—he caused the deaths of countless people. Beyond prosecuting and holding the leaders of that time accountable, there’s little else you can do. The actions of their ancestors aren’t the responsibility of their descendants.
This principle applies universally. Across every continent and country, you’ll find instances of terrible acts committed in the past. On a smaller scale, consider a murderer: you can’t keep punishing or holding their descendants accountable for their crimes.
In the case of Leopold II, he’s long gone. As a former king of a nation, I believe a public acknowledgment by the country should suffice.
Yes, I understand; I think it will be very difficult in this case. With a criminal or a gang in the present day, you can take action directly against them. But how do you do that with a country, especially when it originates from a distant past? Moreover, consider all those Southern families in the U.S. who once employed slaves and accumulated wealth that way. Can you truly correct all past injustices through compensation or restitution? I understand the law—it’s very logical and fair—but I think it’s difficult to apply universally.
Yes, absolutely. Photo of the genocidal maniac Leopold from Belgium in charge of massacre. This “human” without remorse, murdered about 15 million people, no apologies, no compensation …

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