Regardless of their age, should Nazis and other fascists be prosecuted?

[bobthedrummer]

Poll question: Regardless of their age, should Nazis and other fascists be prosecuted?

Demanjuk, Pinochet etc., many in their 80's-should they be prosecuted?
I personally favor prosecution of Nazis and war criminals.
What do you think?

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Yes. There should be no statute of limitations on war crimes and

crimes against humanity.

At least that way, there's a chance that Fuckstick will get prosecuted sometime in the next 40-50 years.

[bobthedrummer]

2. I think I know who you are making a reference to.

Hey, what about Kissinger too???

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. Kissinger, too, yes!

But I want Fuckstick to be hammered. As the symbol and posterboy of fascist fake-religious ignorant posturing and bullying and might-makes-right bullshit, he needs to be taken down and left to rot in jail for eternity and hopefully thus help put an end to the republican-cum-Christianity evil bullshit that's running this country.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

6. okay, let me in on just who is Fuckstick?

Bush? I'm assuming? This is a new one.

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. Ah, yes - I"m in GD, not the Lounge!

Yes, Fuckstick is my own name for our AWOL war criminal fake president.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

14. Okay. Gotcha

very descriptive!

[Vincardog]

3. That includes the current crop of FASCISTS in the NeoConvicts cabal

[bobthedrummer]

4. Sure does, but most of them are middle-aged

[cloud_chaser1]

7. If there is no expiration date on murder charges

why not war crimes? A crime against humanity is a crime against all, and all the people will not be happy one or another gets away with it.

[MrPrax]

8. No...

6 reasons...

1) waste of resources going after Nazis is better spent going after current war criminals living among us quite comfortably in some circumstances.

2) given the lesson of The State of Israel Vs. John Demjanjuk--it would seem that eyewitness accounts and documents from that period are suspect.

3) Truth and Reconcillation Commissions have some practical purpose over and beyond 'revenge' in many regions

4) the only ones ever swept up by this 'administration of justice' are usually scapegoats--the really good war criminals and Nazis are usually at the top and more often than not, become assets to the victors.

5) oh yeah--it seems the US have an entirely different notion of what constitutes 'war crime' as defined by international law and as such the 'basis' of war crime is now up in the air.
If I recall, the quite reasonable demand of Iran to extradict 'our ally' the Shah of Iran was rejected with tragic consequences.

6) Murder, torture, genocide is permissionble under some circumstances apparantly when national security is at stake.

[sam sarrha]

9. like Leo Strauss..??

[MrPrax]

11. You replying to the right one?

Admittedly I only took 4 minutes to come up with 6 reasons.

You sound like your really smart--so I leave it to you to explain what Leo Strauss has to do with anything.

[TahitiNut]

17. Truth and Reconcilation Commissions required TWO things ...

(1) Truth - A complete and truthful acknowledgement of the crimes committed under coercion of authority and (2) Reconciliation - remorse usually demonstrated by efforts to support and reconcile with the victims. Contrary to popular opinion, they were NOT "get out of jail free" cards. Amnesty was granted only for those who made a persuasive case that they didn't commit crimes on their own initiative, and were acting under the authority of 'superiors' or strictly according to government policy and no more.

[MrPrax]

18. Certainly...

but your forgeting that this process only works in the context of civil war.

Since the topic never specified whether these 'fascists' being served up for revenge were the 'easy to agree' variety like Nazis or from the much more 'difficult to agree' category of a long civil war, where T & R is the necessary to 'move on' and settle the conflict.

Indeed, it would be a nice world if the 'monsters' revealed themselves and justice unfolded a decisively as a Law and Order episode, but that is problematic in a world where most First World goods, we consume have a bloody fingerprint on them.

[Cleita]

10. They should be put on trial and all their crimes brought

out in the open. However, with the really old or infirm ones, they should be locked up for life with the care they need. Kicking around helpless old men for revenge shouldn't be part of our agenda. I think stripping them of their assets and making them admit their crimes should be sufficient.

As far as the healthier and younger ones, life in prison seems like a good punishment. I'm still against the death penalty even for the monstrous ones.

[Ian David]

13. How old would someone have to be to forgive them for killing YOUR grandpa?

That's a good way to phrase the question, I think.

[seemslikeadream]

15. Yes

regardless of their age they should be prosecuted. Why in God's name should anyone be allowed to escape punishment for crimes against humanity. I suppose that is why we see such boldness in the present day, so many have gone unpunished. There must be accountablity.

[ExclamationPoint]

16. What do you mean exactly by "brought to justice"?

Capital punishment? if its that, then no, killing is never justified


ps. that sounds like i'm over generalizing, but i don't beleive that more death would ever appease the damage previously done by nazis

[bananas]

19. This makes me think of the movie "Big Trouble in Little China"

the bad guy was thousands of years old.