Dead Reckoning: War, Crime and Justice From WW2 to the War on Terror

Dead Reckoning: War, Crime, and Justice from WW2 to the War on Terror is an illuminating and thought-provoking documentary series by PBS, aired in 2017. While the series encapsulates the profound events of global war and conflict, it delves into a deeper exploration of the legal and ethical dimensions of these wars, focusing on the birth and development of war crimes as a legal concept and its application in international justice from World War II to the present day War on Terror.

The series boasts an impressive array of interviews with legal experts, historians, former war criminals, and survivors of war crimes, narrating a comprehensive, multi-layered story of how justice has adapted over time to account for the horrors of war. Its approach doesn't shy away from the brutal realities and difficult discussions surrounding the war crimes. It's not simply a retelling of historical events but a penetrating analysis of the moral implications of these conflicts and the subsequent evolution of the legal process.

The series begins at the foundations of international justice, tackling the initial development of international war crimes standards following World War II. It explores the conception of the Nuremberg Trials, capturing the building pressure and urgency to hold individuals accountable for what seemed then an unimaginable atrocity. Here, the rise of extraordinary method of justice, that blame and punish individuals and not merely nations for transgressions during war, is aptly depicted.

The series progresses to post-World War era, drawing attention towards other tumultuous periods of conflict, where war crimes and human rights abuses proliferated. Instances include the fights for decolonization and independence, specifically in Vietnam and Algeria, and during the Cold War period. The series highlights how breakthroughs and failures in prosecutorial innovation were achieved during these conflicts. Interest in each period lies not just in the events of the war but also in the way they contribute to the ongoing legal discourse around what justifies a war crime.

The final segment of the series moves to the contemporary period, the post-9/11 era, or more generally known as the War on Terror. Here, the focus is on a complex web of questions—What are today's most significant war crimes? Who should be held accountable? Are the existing international legal processes robust enough to hold them accountable? How is justice being reshaped in this period of continuing conflict? This segment debates modern justice system's effectiveness, especially with Guantanamo Bay and drone warfare in the spotlight.

Throughout Dead Reckoning: War, Crime and Justice from WW2 to the War on Terror, PBS's with its rich narrative and engaging journalistic style, has shown a commendable representation of the dynamic between war and the evolving pursuit of justice. This documentary series aims for viewers to reflect deeply on humanity's struggle to balance the necessity of defense and security with the preservation of human rights. It pushes the viewer to grasp the intricate relations between warfare, justice, law and human rights, and to think critically about our collective moral compass in times of conflict.

The series goes far beyond depicting stories of shocking brutalities and unimaginable atrocities. It's a continuous conversation about what justice really means, the murky area between victor's justice and global justice and the dilemmas of ethics in situations of mass violence. Finally, it's about humanity's efforts to hold itself accountable, to resist normalcy of violence and injustice in warfare, and the journey towards a system where war's perpetrators could be held responsible for their actions.

What the series emphasizes, above all, is the struggle to establish a universal moral and legal code that holds individuals responsible for their actions, even in extraordinary times of war. Dead Reckoning: War, Crime, and Justice from WW2 to the War on Terror is indeed a must-watch for its compelling narrative, insightful commentary, and its profound exploration of humanity's ability to frame fairness in the face of gruesome inhumanities of war.