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Memorial Day 2014: Just Following Orders
Submitted by Charles Hugh-Smith of OfTwoMinds blog,
Large-scale evil requires surrender of autonomy, coercion by a central authority and a willingness to follow orders.
There is evil, and then there's organized evil. This is a memorial outside the village where my brother lives in the south of France. It is a typical village, quite small, perhaps a few hundred residents. The memorial commemorates three young French civilians who were taken out and shot by Nazi soldiers, either for "crimes" of resistance or perhaps as a "lesson" to the restive civilian populace.
The German soldiers who pulled the triggers were of course "just following orders."
Evil must be resisted, corralled, vanquished. Interestingly, people don't need to be forced by a central authority to resist evil, though their efforts will prove more successful if they band together and submit to a competent authority of their own choosing. This is the basis of the "good war" or "just war."
But to be part of large-scale organized evil, people need to surrender their autonomy under threat, and be ordered by a central authority.
This is the origin of the Nuremberg Defense: I was only following lawful, Superior Orders when I murdered those French civilians. The soldiers who followed the orders would have been punished had they refused; coercion is always the backbone of central authority.
Hannah Arendt wrote about the Great Evil, Nazi Germany, and "The Final Solution" of death camps in Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil. The Nazi machine spewed plentiful opportunities to practice the banality of evil, and the death camps were simply one division of the daily grind of pressing one's palms on evil and passing it on to the next "good German."
The routine killing of civilians went on day after day; it was the "day job" of the occupying troops.
Those inside the central authority know, of course, but very few are telling, because the see-saw is just so imbalanced in a system which depends on lies and the distortion of truth to continue its domination.
Truth-tellers will lose their prestigious position, their generous salary and the acceptance of their peers, and perhaps their lives. In exchange for this sacrifice, the truth-teller receives only the glowing, ephemeral shards of his/her integrity: in the current zeitgeist, that literally has no value. The machine will grind on without them, impervious to the tiny pricks of truth; the machinery of propaganda, artifice, misdirection and misrepresentation is well-oiled and masterful in the reach and scope of its operation.
In this context, it is worth watching The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers. Daniel Ellsberg was only one of thousands of "good Americans" doing their job in a war machine built entirely on lies and propaganda. He was one of a handful of citizens out of those thousands, or tens of thousands, who was willing to trade his career for his integrity and conscience.
The Vietnam War was "sold" to the public as a "just and necessary war" that they had "chosen" via their elected representatives. But it was all lies, propaganda and coercion, crowned by the profound cowardice of an elected leadership unwilling to risk the loss of perquisites and power.
Ellsberg had given excerpts of The Pentagon Papers, the secret and oh-so-dangerous unvarnished truth about America's involvement in Vietnam, to various members of Congress; all but one did nothing. Only Rep. Pete McCloskey (R) thought the American people deserved the truth. (McCloskey is a decorated U.S. Marine Corps veteran of combat during the Korean War, recipient of the Navy Cross, the Silver Star, and two awards of the Purple Heart. He published Truth and Untruth - Political Deceit in America in 1972.)
Perhaps the American people would have chosen to sacrifice their youth and treasure on what it had concluded was a "just and necessary" in Vietnam, but it never got the chance to learn the truth which was the necessary foundation of any such decision.
That's how the banality of evil works. When truth becomes too dangerous to the Status Quo, it must be strangled every day, by tens of thousands of people, and its limp corpse hidden away.
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Well, you'd be hard pressed to find a kind and gentle dictator but he did get some things done. It does seem Augustus ---> Tiberius ---> Caligula was certainly an exercise in who could be more depraved than the last. I do occasionally wish for a dictator today to clean up this town but when I realize what this would truly mean I quickly change my mind.
Miffed;-)
memorial day, I am thankful for those who chose to fight Germany and Japan and North Korea
I also think those who live in those countries are thankful too, compare N Korea to South
But Vietnam, all down hill from there
Makes me wonder, is the strong man coming?
I don't mean a good guy.
Sorry, but you're wrong on that. FDR knew ahead of time that Pearl Harbor would be attacked (remember it wasnt even a State then either). It other words, a "false flag" type event to get the US into the war. You know, like 9/11 and the War on Terror.
You are right.
All Wars Are Bankers' Warshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfEBupAeo4
Just don't post that link on Facebook (its banned).
Is he coming? You're a bit late- he came 150 years ago, killed the Republic that this nation was inteded to be and sowed the dragon's teeth that sprouted into the hellish symbiosis between government and business that runs the country today. He wasn't a good guy, he was centralized power incarnate and his troops raped, slaughtered, stole from, and made homeless civilians that didn't want to be under his power to a far greater extent than the evil Germans and Japanese ever did.
As far as the rest, few chose anything- they were mostly drafted and I'll be damned if I can see what North Korea has to do with the actual security of the US then or now. I was just rereading this morning some letters from a great uncle sent from Europe shortly before he was killed in action in 1944 and there is no mention of some white hatted war against evil, just a lament that the entire thing was drummed up by self aggrandizing politicians. Some of those guys had their eyes open.
Memorial Day was started to honor the Northern dead who fought against states rights. I don't celebrate it.
We start by invading Cuba, give permission for South Korea to invade North Korea, let the (E.U) deal with Islam.
Now has always been the best time.
Herbert Spencer wished everyone a happy Memorial Day back in 1902:
"But to be part of large-scale organized evil, people need to surrender their autonomy under threat, and be ordered by a central authority."
People are surrendering autonomy willingly in exchange for food stamps and free cell phones.
""There were no gas chambers at Auschwitz or anywhere else in wartime Europe. On that I state my reputation and career." - Professor Robert Faurisson"
The gas chambers are documented fact.
Then provide the documented facts, moneybot. Is your yamulke on too tight?
"Then provide the documented facts, moneybot. Is your yamulke on too tight?"
The documented fact that the Holocaust is real is on the internet for anyone to see.
I see you also have your active imagination thing going again, too.
And if it's on the internet, it must be true! There is a reason historians require documentation, so it can be verified. You have no reliable documentation for the holocaust, therefore, it never happened. PROVE me wrong.
Note: while it can be fun to tweak your nose, it can be boring. So, unless you have something of substance, hasta la vista.
"And if it's on the internet, it must be true! There is a reason historians require documentation, so it can be verified. You have no reliable documentation for the holocaust, therefore, it never happened. PROVE me wrong.
Note: while it can be fun to tweak your nose, it can be boring. So, unless you have something of substance, hasta la vista."
The fact the Holocaust is real is on the internet. One can even read about Holocaust deniers on the internet.
You aren't really tweaking my nose at all. The Holocaust is documented fact.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibFgiJnxqgI
CSpan Book Review: Denying History.
Holocaust denialism is a complete and total fraud.
Look troll, it is a FACT that the six million number used in the holohoax was being discussed publicly in print for 50 years BEFORE the holohoax:
The_six_million_hoax
More_proof_the_six_million_number_is_a_lie
Six_million_jews_1915_to_1938
"Look troll, it is a FACT that the six million number used in the holohoax was being discussed publicly in print for 50 years BEFORE the holohoax:"
The name calling does you no good.
The Holocaust happened. Millions of Jews were murdered. It is documented. The Holocaust is not a hoax, Holocaust denialism is.
Mass arrests resulted from an economic boycott against Germany, and the rest is history. Everyone was rounded up and sent to camps. The weak and old died quickly, some in transit. The rest were segregated with the help of NSA...errr IBM.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itmiffGBHoE
"Judea declares war on Germany. But who decided to do this? Zionists did. They sent their own people into prisons to create a situation that would present them with pity and compensation, namely, Israel.
Video about the 1933 New York Times (and other newspapers) headline "Judea Declares War on Germany" and accounts of some of the historical events leading up to the start of World War Two, by International Revisionist Video Productions
Zionism is a political ideology fabricated by Theodor Herzl, and the Rothschild family. Historically, Judaism and the holocaust industry has been largely steered by the Rothschilds.
"It is essential that the sufferings of Jews... become worse... this will assist in realization of our plans...I have an excellent idea... I shall induce anti-Semites to liquidate Jewish wealth. The anti-Semites will assist us thereby in that they will strengthen the persecution and oppression of Jews. The anti-Semites shall be our best friends"
— Theodor Herzl, Founder of Zionism in 1897
How many died is irrelevant but 6 million seems to be a magic number for some odd reason (propaganda). The important point is that many innocent good people died to advance an agenda.
"the holocaust industry has been largely steered by the Rothschilds."
Who runs the holocaust denier propaganda industry?
""Judea declares war on Germany. But who decided to do this? Zionists did. They sent their own people into prisons to create a situation that would present them with pity and compensation, namely, Israel."
Interesting false propaganda.
Is the next claim going to be that Hitler was Jewish?
The 1933 world congress is well documented meeting. How joopid are you?
"The 1933 world congress is well documented meeting. How joopid are you?"
The holocaust is well documented.
CSpan Book Review: Denying History. Just click on the link in my post above.
They don't document the holocaust, they just attempt to discredit the people, themselves. Typical jewish lie campaign.
"They don't document the holocaust, they just attempt to discredit the people, themselves. Typical jewish lie campaign."
The anti-semitism comes out again. Goebbels was the propaganda minister for Hitler. What was the typical Nazi lie?
I saw a video of Ted Cruz's father telling some group that President Obama never says the word God, when reciting the pledge of allegience. It was followed by two videos of Obama reciting the pledge and he said God in both.
What is the typical holocaust denier lie?
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make ‘em drink.
Yes, the gas chambers are documented fact.
The catalyst for war has not been diminished as many people have hoped it would once the world matured. National pride, political agendas, religious and ethnic hatreds are some of the biggest roadblocks to world peace.
Often we seem to forget as we look back to World War II and past a dozen "lesser Conflicts" peace has been the exception rather then the rule for hundreds and thousands of years.
The true reality is that across the world few mothers want to see their children killed and most farmers want to be left along to raise their crops and earn a living. More on the subject of war as a solution to conflict in the article below.
http://brucewilds.blogspot.com/2014/05/war-and-what-is-it-good-for.html
yes there are lots of bad guys on both sides, war is hell
but would you really lay down and do nothing if a brutal force threatened you?
Oh sorry, they kind of snuck in there, clever folks
Thank you Edward Snowden. Thank you, Glen Greewald and Laura Poitras.
You showed us that Heroes do really exist. There are MANY others.
Heroes commit their actions despite knowing that they face either certain harm or the risk of harm because they think bold action must be taken.
Heroes are not order-following muppetts.
Heroes have a love for the greater good and for their neighbors and they take actions despite the risk to their own well being, health, or comfort. They do this out of a sense of right and wrong and out of a sense of duty to do the right thing even when the action may be seen as unpopular or heretical.
The American lawyers who went to Nuremberg to judge the losing nations’ leaders after the war were "just following orders" also, the orders of a victor.
The diplomats who went to Paris and carved up Europe for their own industrial and Empire greed, forcing Germany into a Versailles sentence that would bring on an even greater war than they had just experienced were "just following orders" from their bankers back home.
The causes of wars from Sarajevo to Hanoi to Moscow and Palestine have been so lied about and camouflaged by the Empire makers and bankers and their media that a US Marine these days is likely to be following the same Empire-building orders his ancestors did under Presidents Wilson and F. D. Roosevelt.
And isn’t it time that today’s writers come up with a clearer vision of evil than the Nazi Party? My word, this has gotten to be the most sickening, overused, mishandled symbolism in the history of the world. And the purpose, which of course fulfills every dream of the Zionists, is to mask the events of today with the lies of yesterday.
"Germany has always been the pawn." – General George S. Patton
General Patton, after a visit to ruined Berlin, wrote his wife on July 21, 1945: "Berlin gave me the blues. We have destroyed what could have been a good race, and we are about to replace them with Mongolian savages. And all Europe will be communist. It's said that for the first week after they took it (Berlin), all women who ran were shot and those who did not were raped. I could have taken it (instead of the Soviets) had I been allowed."
And speaking of evil -- current evil -- as American citizens we are drowning in it; for it is our country that is the author of slaughter, torture, and enslavement. Just witness the attitude of the United States Congress toward the occupation of Palestine and genocide of her people by a country enjoying a “special relationship” with America the Superpower.
I don't agree with this all but well said!
"General Patton, after a visit to ruined Berlin, wrote his wife on July 21, 1945: "Berlin gave me the blues. We have destroyed what could have been a good race, and we are about to replace them with Mongolian savages. And all Europe will be communist. It's said that for the first week after they took it (Berlin), all women who ran were shot and those who did not were raped. I could have taken it (instead of the Soviets) had I been allowed.""
Hitler destroyed the German people. Watch his speeches and see the hatred in his face. Hitler could have built a peaceful modern industrial country. Instead he chose evil.
Patton could have taken Berlin, but Berlin was in eastern Germany and Hitler had killed millions of Russians since June 1941. The Russians had suffered the most from Hitler, in terms of lost lives. Thus Russia took Berlin.
The Russians photographed meeting up with the Americans at the Elbe river, did not look Mongolian. Nor did All of Europe become communist.
"Germany has always been the pawn." – General George S. Patton
Hitler wasn't a pawn. He intended for his third Reich to rule for a thousand years.
THE JEWS DESTROYED THE GERMAN PEOPLE. THEY RAPED AND PILLAGED AND MURDERED WITHOUT RESTRAINT. THEY STARTED WWI AND WWII AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS OF EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD CAUSED BY THESE BANKSTER WARS.
JEWS ARE EVIL ISRAEL IS EVIL. THE HOLOCAUST IS A HOAX.
Gosh, that makes a difference. It is so easy to lie if you don't have to document a thing. Put it in caps and bold. I have been doing this all wrong. Just another example of jewish ingenuity.
"THE JEWS DESTROYED THE GERMAN PEOPLE. THEY RAPED AND PILLAGED AND MURDERED WITHOUT RESTRAINT. THEY STARTED WWI AND WWII AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS OF EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD CAUSED BY THESE BANKSTER WARS.
JEWS ARE EVIL ISRAEL IS EVIL. THE HOLOCAUST IS A HOAX.
Gosh, that makes a difference. It is so easy to lie if you don't have to document a thing. Put it in caps and bold. I have been doing this all wrong. Just another example of jewish ingenuity."
Hitler destroyed the German people, despite your propaganda, Sean. Hitler could have built a peaceful, prosperous modern industrial nation, but he chose evil over good. Look at the hateful expression on Hitler's face in his speeches.
The Holocaust is real, Sean. It is well documented, as you know, Sean.
Juddahites have thousands of years of history destroying people, raping, murdering women. children, old people. They glory in it,. They revel in it. It is the Torah! But I should believe you instead, with zero evidence or proof. The holocaust is a hoax. Deal with it.
"Juddahites have thousands of years of history destroying people, raping, murdering women. children, old people. They glory in it,. They revel in it. It is the Torah! But I should believe you instead, with zero evidence or proof. The holocaust is a hoax. Deal with it."
The holocaust really happened. Holocaust deniers are like JFK lone gunman deniers.
As usual with this 'american' propagandist, no context exists. This allows to evacuate the 'american' question.
Yet, merits and achievements must be acknowledged: 'americans' brought a new dimension to the relationship between order givers and order takers.
An order taker must obey and the responsibility lies then with the order giver who shoulder the responsibility of the actions taken by the order taker.
This unicity in authority destroyed the King at the hands of 'americans'. The King shouldered the responsibility of his actions. He decided them so they were his responsibility.
'Americans' innovated in their way to dilute responsibility in that order takers elect order givers. When order takers do not receive the orders they want to be given, they simply do not elect again an order giver.
This settled the scheme of dilution of responsibility.
In an 'american' society, an order taker cant be held responsible: he follows orders.
The brilliance here is that the order giver cant be held responsible either as the order taker does not act on one's own will but on the will of the order takers.
Nothing personal, bro, either, you receive orders or you are mandated to issue specific orders.
This is how it works in an 'american' society. The circular reasoning to achieve the biggest wash up in responsibility either. No one is responsible in an 'american' society as 'americans' never do their own bidding. So 'americans' say.
So, Watergate; Ellsberg.
That's the most recent examples you could come up with.
Nearly 30% of North Korea's population, 2 million people, were killed in a bombing campaign of civilian cities. This was the second largest genocide in war time ever committed and it was done by the US military. The Germans have done much to recognise and study what led to their atrocities, what percentage of Americans even know of this one?
"Population of North Korea in 1950: 9 million."
"Reports released by Pyongyang at war's end in 1953 indicated that North Korea's population decreased by 12 percent between 1949 and 1953"
"Adding to this, a population movement developed from North to South Korea .... The population was 8,491,000 in 1953"
http://www.globalresearch.ca/north-korea-versus-the-united-states-who-ar...
General Lemay gives an estimate of 20%. An atrocious number. If the Koreans were jewish, I'm sure they could have been much more creative. Just ask moneybots: he never uses a single reference, but makes wild claims. This is how you propagandize.
"General Lemay gives an estimate of 20%. An atrocious number. If the Koreans were jewish, I'm sure they could have been much more creative. Just ask moneybots: he never uses a single reference, but makes wild claims. This is how you propagandize."
Your wild claims about Jews are rather interesting.
One site i visited yesterday, after getting the above quotes, had casualties listed for all countries including China, but a blank space for North Korea.
I can reference numerous JFK conspiracy sites. That is how they propagandize in the internet age. The fact is that the credible evidence pointed straight at Oswald as the only person who shot at JFK in Dealey Plaza. Haven't bothered to look, but i could probably reference a site that claims we didn't land on the Moon or that space alien bodies are being held at area 51. All kinds of false claims can be cited, including holocaust denier claims.
The North Koreans were not jewish, but they were communist. Lenin was a communist, too. I was watching The World Wars last night on the History Channel. Interesting that the German government gave communist exile Lenin 10 million dollars to go back to Russia and overthrow the Czar and take Russia out of the war against Germany. Interesting that the German government also offered to pay for Mexico to go to war with the U.S. in an effort to keep America out of the war.
Name the sites, provide the documentation. I could care less what you think you saw. Without proof, you are just a sewer of knowledge.
"Name the sites, provide the documentation. I could care less what you think you saw. Without proof, you are just a sewer of knowledge."
Holocaust denialism is a sewer. There are loads of JFK conspiracy sites that claim to have proof that anyone but Oswald, killed JFK. Man did land on the Moon despite the claims of Moon landing deniers and their so-called proof. David Chandler claims a horizontal puff of smoke from the fire, was proof of a cutter charge, in his controlled demolition claim about WTC1. The smoke was not proof of any cutter charge, it was proof the air space was collapsing on that floor, nothing more.