We cringe with dread when we hear anyone make the excuse "I was just following orders." But the funny thing is, in the world of the military, it is a perfect justification.
"Yes, I murdered six million Jews, but I was just following orders."
That is exactly the point the Israelis were trying when they had Eichmann on trial. If he was just following orders, then they would have to let Eichmann go free, because it is not a crime to murder six million anyone, if you are just following orders. The job of the prosecutors is to find out who issued the orders, and prosecute them.
You can watch a film on this yourself, or go through the 350 hours of the trial in real time, and you will see, no secret, that was the issue tried.
Now, they finally found a document wherein Eichmann himself signed a death warrant for a criminal act. He gave the order, so they hanged Eichmann.
So when you act appalled at someone saying "I was just following orders," understand that is the system you live in, in which anyone can do anything if they are just following orders.
That is reason 3,983,974,093,392 why I could never join the military. I would be saying, "No, that is wrong."
It is settled in law and ethics that no private soldier (sergeant or below) can be prosecuted for a war crime because they can be shot for not following orders. Officers can resign, and cannot be shot. So to my mind officers have no excuse, because they can refuse to commit a crime. But it is settled in law and ethics that officers can do anything if they are just following orders.
If you believe that officers neither order crimes to be committed, or fail to follow such orders, then you have no idea what a standing army needs to remain in place. They need to get the bankers' job done to justify their existence, or the bankers will find another set of officers to do the job.
You hear sometimes an officer refuse to perform an order without the order in writing. This he can do, and will do if the order is a crime. The officer just wants to cover his ass.
Conscientious objectors are just following orders:
1. Be fruitful and multiply.
2. Love your neighbor.
3. Thou shalt not kill.
But we fail miserably at following orders. But when we fail, and get killed or die, then we join Jesus in his paradoxical victory.
The alternative is a world in which people are free to murder for oil if they are just following orders.
Feel Free To Email This To Three Friends.
"Yes, I murdered six million Jews, but I was just following orders."
That is exactly the point the Israelis were trying when they had Eichmann on trial. If he was just following orders, then they would have to let Eichmann go free, because it is not a crime to murder six million anyone, if you are just following orders. The job of the prosecutors is to find out who issued the orders, and prosecute them.
You can watch a film on this yourself, or go through the 350 hours of the trial in real time, and you will see, no secret, that was the issue tried.
Now, they finally found a document wherein Eichmann himself signed a death warrant for a criminal act. He gave the order, so they hanged Eichmann.
So when you act appalled at someone saying "I was just following orders," understand that is the system you live in, in which anyone can do anything if they are just following orders.
That is reason 3,983,974,093,392 why I could never join the military. I would be saying, "No, that is wrong."
It is settled in law and ethics that no private soldier (sergeant or below) can be prosecuted for a war crime because they can be shot for not following orders. Officers can resign, and cannot be shot. So to my mind officers have no excuse, because they can refuse to commit a crime. But it is settled in law and ethics that officers can do anything if they are just following orders.
If you believe that officers neither order crimes to be committed, or fail to follow such orders, then you have no idea what a standing army needs to remain in place. They need to get the bankers' job done to justify their existence, or the bankers will find another set of officers to do the job.
You hear sometimes an officer refuse to perform an order without the order in writing. This he can do, and will do if the order is a crime. The officer just wants to cover his ass.
Conscientious objectors are just following orders:
1. Be fruitful and multiply.
2. Love your neighbor.
3. Thou shalt not kill.
But we fail miserably at following orders. But when we fail, and get killed or die, then we join Jesus in his paradoxical victory.
The alternative is a world in which people are free to murder for oil if they are just following orders.
Feel Free To Email This To Three Friends.
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