Duty And Its Consequences.

[sandyRoe]

While on a quiet Winter Camino in Spain I met up with a German man of about my own age. We walked and talked and he eventually told me that his father had been in the SS during the war.
He told me that his father had admitted to have done some terrible, murderous, things. They were under a strict discipline which meant if you didn't obey an order from the officer
who gave it you could be shot .
That memory came to mind this morning when I heard that the man who is accused of making the bomb which blew up the plane over Lockerbie has been arrested and taken to the USA.
Can a functionary be blamed for following orders?

[douglas9401]

Usually only if they're on the losing side, Sandy, the winners get to justify their actions.

[naomi24]

Whose orders was he following?

[Redhelen72]

Personally I would rather die than carry out some of the things that some were ordered to do.
But 2 wrongs don't make a right.

[LadyCG]

The Colonel's I would imagine.

[sandyRoe]

Naomi,
Do you mean the SS man or the Libyan security officer?

[naomi24]

The Libyan.

[sandyRoe]

I'd guess he obeyed the orders from his government.

[fitdarren]

9:56 I tend to agree.

[Ken4155]

He actually claims that the orders came from Libyan intelligence, but that Gadhafi "thanked him and other members of the team for their successful attack on the United States" it is claimed.

[naomi24]

I've lost track of this a bit. As far as I can tell the Libyan government accepted responsibility for the actions of those in their employ but denied giving the order. Groups supporting Palestine have also been mentioned. Do we actually know who planned it?

[youngmafbog]

//Can a functionary be blamed for following orders?/

Yes.

[sandyRoe]

When does acting under orders become a crime?

[youngmafbog]

When you carry out orders that are criminal.

In your example those that joined the SS knew exactly what they were getting into. Maybe not the poor saps on the front line but then by and large they were not the perpetrators of heinous acts.

[sandyRoe]

Youngmafbog,
A one word answer isn't quite enough.

[youngmafbog]

Eh?

[sandyRoe]

Youngmafbog
I referred to your answer at 10:19

[naomi24]

The question that this raises is did the SS man simply follow orders or did he personally embrace the 'cause'. Likewise the bombers. I would guess that is a 'yes' to both. Therefore, neither can be deemed innocents just following orders - whatever the source of those orders.

[sandyRoe]

Imagine a patriot joining the SS in the 1930s. He would obey orders,
He was under an iron discipline.
My post asks when are you guilty when you obey orders?

[Ken4155]

I would say that it would all depend upon the punishment for not following such orders and from where they originated.

[THECORBYLOON]

The defence of, "only following orders" might be accepted as mitigation and result in less severe punishment but the action is unlawful still.