Do you agree?

Question

If a person conducts an unlawful act towards someone, for example, the nazis and the german people doing unthinkable deeds to Jewish people. Even though they are ordered to do so, they should be punished. A person is responsible no matter what, even if they were supposedly 'brainwashed'. Do you agree? Serious Answers

Answer 1

Yes, as human beings we should KNOW better.

Answer 2

The world agreed with you after World War II, thats how the Crimes Against Humanity charge was used to prosecute Nazi's after the war. "Disposal" of the Jews was inaccordance with German law and government policy - so people acting on that policy were following the Nazi law, therefore it was legal! However, you have to realize that others have committed similiar acts without prosecution, for example, Pot Pol in Cambodia (1970s) oversaw the killing of an estimated 1 million people and the world, including the U.S., stood by and did nothing. You can also look at the recent circumstance in Ruwanda where tribal warfare resulted in 1/2 to 3/4 million deaths and neither the U.N. nor any other government did anything. And the U.N. had troops in the area! Bill Clinton was President.
I agree with you, but the application of the standard should not be selectively applied to people that commit these mass murders.

Answer 3

Depends if you could prove they were brainwashed. Sometimes people use that as a cop out so they don't have to admit they just got caught up in bad *hit. But true brainwashing is difficult to prove but it is also the reason why some kidnapped victums will "playhouse" and mourn their obductors death... So I'm not sure we should just say "damn them all" I think we should take a harder look at the circumstances and if we could prove they were brain wash get them serious help to fix them

Answer 4

Well, if you take a close look at the psychological studies, these people really felt that they were under stricked orders by authority figures. They believed that they had no other alternatives. I think today I would hold people accountable but back then I might have thought differently.

Answer 5

Every one is accountable for their own actions yes I agree, However sometimes there may be extenuating circumstances such as the Nazis used against their own German kind by threatening their families with execution or torture unless they did as they were told, in the end if you believe in god then we will all be judged for our choices in life.

Answer 6

I agree. every human has the right to free will. Brainwashing and peer pressure are just excuses that people come up with to cover their bad behavior.

Answer 7

No..half the world is brainwashed even today...the muslims believe, the christians believe, the buddists believe, ya da, ya da, ya da. Its all a form of brainwashing...the trick to grow up.

Answer 8

Unfortunately look at it like this if American soliders didn't kill people for our freedoms where would we be, they r doing wrong by killing so should they be punished too NO!
I don't feel what was done to Jews was right but I am not going to tell the soliders to not fight for my freedom R U???

Answer 9

yes, humans are at least born with a heart so they have to know the extent of the damage they do.

Answer 10

No, I absolutely disagree.
As you said, they were just following orders, some under threat of death to themselves or death to their families.
They are RESPONSIBLE, but they are not ACCOUNTABLE.
The one's who gave the orders are the one's who should be held accountable.

Answer 11

I think the person who ordered them to do it and the prson who did it should be punished