89-year-old Philadelphia man accused of war crimes as Nazi death-camp guard

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Does this not contradict your being in favor of a US gov't apology for their involvement in slavery? Aren't the people that were involved in slavery all dead now too?

wow what a stretch. Well if the NAzi Govt was still in business I would say they could apologize. By all means the old chap can apologize.

You can bet the ranch he is white. One had to be considered pure and white in order to be a member of the party.

That was subtle humor...I know

[Teddy B 17,252]

wow what a stretch. Well if the NAzi Govt was still in business I would say they could apologize. By all means the old chap can apologize.

That was subtle humor...I know

It's not a stretch at all. The people involved in both instances are dead or will all be dead very shortly. But you want one group of people to apologize for their atrocities, while willing to let the others slide, that's inconsistent. The US gov't is not the SAME US gov't that was in place during slavery either, policies and people have changed, that part is immaterial.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

It's not a stretch at all. The people involved in both instances are dead or will all be dead very shortly. But you want one group of people to apologize for their atrocities, while willing to let the others slide, that's inconsistent. The US gov't is not the SAME US gov't that was in place during slavery either, policies and people have changed, that part is immaterial.

Apologizing as a symbolic gesture is a lot different than spending a ton of time and money trying one person who will be dead soon , not even close

[Teddy B 17,252]

Apologizing as a symbolic gesture is a lot different than spending a ton of time and money trying one person who will be dead soon , not even close

The difference is one person is still alive and the others are not. If former slave owners were still alive, would you want them tried in a court either criminally or civil, or would an apology suffice?

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

The difference is one person is still alive and the others are not. If former slave owners were still alive, would you want them tried in a court either criminally or civil, or would an apology suffice?

Well since slavery was legal. .

[Teddy B 17,252]

Well since slavery was legal. .

Which is I why also said "civil". One can be sued in civil court for reparations.

[Peikko 1,575]

Well since slavery was legal. .

In Nazi Germany killing non-Aryans wasn't only legal, it was a duty, and?

[spookyturtle 9,465]

I would imagine the Cold War had a lot do to with it.

Maybe so, but there was no international outcry for justice like there was for the Nazi war criminals. Stalin was every bit as bad as Hitler.

[Dakine10 5,452]

Maybe so, but there was no international outcry for justice like there was for the Nazi war criminals. Stalin was every bit as bad as Hitler.

I imagine the fact that the path to justice had to go through 8000 nuclear warheads and a crazy dictator who was still alive had something to do with it. No doubt if the Axis powers won WWII, a lot more of the Nazi war criminals would have escaped justice too. As they say, history is written by the victors.

[Jacque67 7,328]

Maybe so, but there was no international outcry for justice like there was for the Nazi war criminals. Stalin was every bit as bad as Hitler.

Well think about who rules America;)

[Dakine10 5,452]

I say we have already exacted the justice for the Nazi blight. The guy is 89 and in 10 more years none of the victims or perpetrators will be left anyway. We have moved on, I think it does more hard than good to drudge it up again

Yeah, the guy would have been 17 or 18 or so at the time. Unless they have actual evidence of war crimes, I don't see the point of going after these guys anymore.

Not so much that justice was done. I don't think you can ever get justice for something of that magnitude. But you're also not going to get any closer to justice by going after one more guy who probably should have been in high school at the time.

[Peikko 1,575]

Maybe so, but there was no international outcry for justice like there was for the Nazi war criminals. Stalin was every bit as bad as Hitler.

One, Stalin was an ali during world war 2, like it or not, that's a fact

Two, Germany was defeated, there was transparency, all records were open and available, it was possible to track and trace and provide EVIDENCE for the crimes and the individuals responsible. None of these crimes were prosecuted by hearsay, Nuremberg trial transcripts are available and are interesting reading.

Three, The cold war - zero transparency, the rise of Khruschev who relaxed a lot of Stalinist policies.

A very different set of circumstances. It's only a cursory list but it really explains many of the reasons why this wasn't addressed externally.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Yeah, the guy would have been 17 or 18 or so at the time. Unless they have actual evidence of war crimes, I don't see the point of going after these guys anymore.

Not so much that justice was done. I don't think you can ever get justice for something of that magnitude. But you're also not going to get any closer to justice by going after one more guy who probably should have been in high school at the time.

Good point. And I'd like to know how it is determined whether a soldier was following orders or acting on his own. In some of these lower level cases, these guys were doing what they were told or they would have suffered the consequences. It doesn't make it right by any means, but in some cases the options weren't pleasant. The higher ups deserve what they get and should be held accountable at all costs, and many of them have been. Time doesn't erase the crime, but at how much responsibility lies on a common soldier following orders?

[Peikko 1,575]

Yeah, the guy would have been 17 or 18 or so at the time. Unless they have actual evidence of war crimes, I don't see the point of going after these guys anymore.

Not so much that justice was done. I don't think you can ever get justice for something of that magnitude. But you're also not going to get any closer to justice by going after one more guy who probably should have been in high school at the time.

So, no more trials of children as adults no matter what they are accused of? Fair enough, I totally agree with that, however there must be 'actual evidence' of war crimes or he wouldn't be extradited. The authorities do require proofs before these processes can proceed. This is not trial be hearsay. If he goes to trial it may shed more light on what occurred and that is a good thing, not a bad one.

[Jacque67 7,328]

Hmm. Really?

What's an Ali? Was Stalin a Muslim?????