Following Orders By Mark A. Goldman

[Demeter]

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19336.htm

12/02/08 "ICH " -- - If I have my facts straight, Hitler killed only one person in his lifetime: himself. All the other atrocities that are attributed to him were carried out by people who were only following orders.

If it is true that the war in Iraq is illegal, as I and others believe it is—including the Secretary General of the United Nations—then all the deaths and atrocities that have occurred to date, inflicted by our coalition forces, are the acts of individuals who, knowingly or unknowingly, with good intentions or not, have been willing to break the law in order to follow the orders of superiors.

Each member of the US military took an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Each also took a pledge to follow the legal orders of the Commander in Chief. Under the Constitution, no soldier is required to follow an illegal order. But that's what many Americans have been doing now for quite some time. And this is not confined to our military personnel, but also to members of the FBI, the CIA, the NSA (the folks who have been carrying out those illegal wire taps), outsourced contractors, the media, and perhaps most egregious of all— elected members of Congress, who for all intents and purposes, put their conscience and oversight responsibilities on hold as they get their marching orders from the Oval Office or from party leaders.

I believe the reason that many of those who do follow illegal orders, or otherwise fall into line under pressure, is that if they refused, they would be subject to severe ridicule and/or punishment. They know that if they subjected themselves to this ridicule or punishment, that we would not do anything to protect them from that injustice.

[AlertLurker]

1. People who have never served cannot possibly understand...

or adequately appreciate the intense pressure brought to bear on soldiers to conform. The absolute necessity for the subsumption of the individual will to the unit, the instant and unquestioning OBEDIENCE to one's superiors cannot be fathomed, in most cases, by those who have never undergone the rigorous and intensive training the worlds' militaries use to train its soldiers.

[Demeter]

2. Which is Why the Leaders Must Be Punished

They know better, and they have the power to resist and make a public stink.