Re: Should German WWII vets be arrested?
??? I don't see how this relates to my post at all. I know it is popular to say that German soldiers did not have to accept assignment to the concentration camps, and those who opted out suffered no negative consequences, but I have not found a single testimony of a German soldier who opted out. And common sense should tell us that it would take a very brave soul to say no to Himmler who, in the wake of the attempted assassination of Hitler, ordered the execution of roughly 5000 Germans accused of opposing Hitler and his policies. There are, however, testimonies from the survivors of acts of random kindness or mercy extended by German guards--very rare for sure--but remembered when they happened.
My point was that we do not always accomplish the highest goals by direct frontal confrontation and/or self righteous indignation.
In fact, strangely maybe, the only known act of Himmler taking any adverse action in relation to brutality and murder of Jews was not against anyone for refusing. It was for refusing to set aside a court verdict that someone who, on his own, set up to put together people to kill 20,000 Jews - and in those killings first did sadistic, brutal acts and did so in public. He was sentenced to 10 years. The court stressed it was not for killing Jews as that was patriotic. It was because of how disorganized and unruly it was done without authorization.
His wife appealed to Himmler personally. While Himmler refused to overrule the sentence, he did assure she had housing and food. She then appealed to Himmler that one of her children had back problems and needed medical care. He instructed the child be medically examined. It was determined the back problem was co-genital. For this, the child was euthanized under German policy.
I have no posted this many times as it is true. No German was ever punished for refusing to participate in ANY action against Jews nor for refusing to participate in any war crimes otherwise.
I disagree with "the highest goal." It was not only Jews unthinkable victims of the most organized and fine oiled persecution and killing design (not the greatest genocide), but such atrocities occurred by the SS in virtually every town, village and city German occupied. It is known the SS not only was entirely voluntarily, but prestigious to be in it - for which it known their tasks were such atrocities. A German who qualified for and joined the SS did so for the purpose of being part of that which did atrocities - it was the known purpose.
I think the highest goal is to make it absolutely clear that there is zero tolerance for such as the holocaust, that ever effort will be made to search down and punish anyone and everyone who participated even if take decades, and that shugging our shoulders to pretend we didn't know what SS or concentration/death camp Germans did it 100% unacceptable. IF he claims he was there in some covert sense to help the Jews, let him make his defense for it.
Finally, "small or random acts of kinds" do not erase guilt for great acts of evil. Mass rapists and murders probably also occasionally did "random acts of kindness." It is known who and what German guards at concentration camps did. Citing generic platitudes to eliminate or reduce this to nothingness is not acceptable. Nor is this about American absolute presumption of innocence as this is NOT a civilian issue. It is a war crimes military issue of someone who volunteered specifically to be in the SS, which was declared therefore an ineligibility to claim prisoner of war status because 1.) it was voluntary and 2.) in every village, town and city, plus every concentration camp, it known exact what the SS was and what those of it volunteered wanting to do.
Yet even in civil criminal law, being along for the ride in criminal acts is equal criminal liability. If a person wants to claim they were there against their will, that is an affirmative defense question. Under your theory, if a carload of KKK members drove thru a neighborhood shooting blacks, and the police pulled them over, in your claim not one of them could be prosecuted because you can't prove who actually pulled the trigger. Your theory doesn't even work in American criminal law.