At the Nuremburg Trials, it was determined that obeying and following orders were not excuses for immoral/criminal behavior on the part of the subordinate. We all understand that. One is culpable for following an illegal/immoral order.
Today, because the justification/rationale (both legal and moral) for attacking the sovereign nation of Iraq was based upon proven forgeries, lies, and malfeasances of all sorts, it should be concluded that every soldier, regardless of rank, who is willfully inflicting death and harm on any Iraqi citizen should be in violation of the Nuremberg accords, and is criminally liable. The (popular) idea of "supporting our troops" is aiding and abetting an international crime. Is it not? We either have laws or we don't.
The anti-war movement of the 60s -- yes pinko at its core, but so what -- had it right. Viet Nam was an illegal "war", we had no legal or moral business being there. And (painfully) any soldier killing a Vietnamese citizen was in fact a "murderer". That was the logic. That's what all of the marching was about. It had nothing to do with advancing some commie agenda. It was an illegal, immoral war, and as citizens we had the RIGHT and OBLIGATION, to oppose it (if you like, using the Nuremberg Trial as the precedent). If you going to have a war, declare a war. The US of A (whoever that is?) has not declared "war" since 1941. To "pretend" to be at war, without declaring such is what? What is it?
Today, as a republic, what can we do about Strangelove and Merkin? By supporting (again) an illegal, immoral excursion into another country based upon lies and deceit, we are de facto aiding and abetting criminal behavior. We are all criminals. And as criminals, what should we do?!
We need to turn ourselves in! Millions of us need to go to Washington, make a mass citizen’s arrest, and turn ourselves over to the authorities. If this gesture were to be carried out (like it would have in the 60s), this pretend war, and their next great adventure into Syria or Iran, would be thwarted. You end it by being moral and lawful.
When the accumulation of money and prestige is the motor driving a society, it becomes self-consumptive. Because we are all so busy consuming and acquiring, the energy and CREATIVITY necessary to stand up as a Republic has been plowed under. In the 60s, it was in full bloom.
