Auschwitz guard, 93, charged with 300,000 counts of accessory to murder

a reply to: WilsonWilson

The intentional targeting / shooting of unarmed civilians during times of war is in fact a war crime. Not to mention a violation of the Geneva convention.

a reply to: Xcathdra

I would guess it's against the Geneva Convention to forcibly conscript the poeple of an invaded country.

93 years old. He's had to live with this for all this time. So?

He was just following orders... So? That wouldn't excuse it now, nor should it. It can't excuse it just because he's 93 years old.

We're obsessed with the past because someday, maybe, we'll actually learn the lessons that history tries to teach us.

Genocide is abhorrent, yet mankind continues to merrily practice it all over the world to this day. ...and probably tomorrow, too.

That's why it should be brought up, and continue to be brought up.

It makes, obviously, many of us uncomfortable. It damned well should. Anyone who's comfortable contemplating the wholesale slaughter of millions of innocents on an industrial scale isn't some one I want anything to do with.

Auschwitz, and all the other names that darken the memories of all too many, though there's all too few of them left now, should be remembered, and learned from. At least if we learn the lessons there to be learned, perhaps their deaths might actually mean something. If we refuse to learn the lessons offered, their deaths become utterly without reason.

So, yes, the topic should be brought up. As often as necessary.

originally posted by: WilsonWilson
a reply to: Xcathdra

I would guess it's against the Geneva Convention to forcibly conscript the poeple of an invaded country.

Actually yes and no.

IHL
Under International Humanitarian Law forced labor can happen. However the caveat is they must be compensated (which is not defined so im assuming compensated could mean money, food etc).

Redcross and 4th geneva convention

Civilians cannot be forced to do military-related work for an occupying force.

Art. 40
Civilians cannot be forced to do military-related work for an occupying force.

Art. 54
They are to be paid fairly for any assigned work.

With that said the number of geneva conventions violations committed by the parties involved is extensive.

a reply to: Swills

Being a guard at Auschwitz during that time. One
can easily imagine what horrors this Nazi degenerate
has committed. Obviously bad enough that he would
finally confess after all this time, in an attempt to pay
a weak price in this life.

Get a rope! Justice should be served.

a reply to: randyvs

Not to mention the hoops and individual had to jump through to even become a member of the SS.

originally posted by: buster2010
In another article I read about him his job was to go through the clothes of the prisoners to look for money .
93-year-old former Auschwitz guard charged
It's strange that they are willing to go after this guy but do nothing to the people that backed Hitler and sold him the chemicals that were used to kill the Jews. If this guy were rich he wouldn't even be on trial.

One thing I think about in all this is I'm sure there were many guards that had compassion, disagreed with it all etc, but had no way, but maybe in small ways to show it.

Are we at the point that anyone remotely involved are now tried for high crimes against humanity? I guess that is the advantage of the victors, but I personally think that there where some true hideous people leading/driving this all and there were many that had little choice due to the whole event.

BTW have we gone after the Japanese the same way that did hideous acts in China, Korea or even against us the same way?

These questions come from a person that truly believes that Hitler wanted to wipe out the Jews and did his damnest to do it, but I don't think everyone down to the toilet cleaners are all guilty.

originally posted by: Xcathdra

originally posted by: WilsonWilson
a reply to: Xcathdra

I would guess it's against the Geneva Convention to forcibly conscript the poeple of an invaded country.

Actually yes and no.

IHL
Under International Humanitarian Law forced labor can happen. However the caveat is they must be compensated (which is not defined so im assuming compensated could mean money, food etc).

Redcross and 4th geneva convention

Civilians cannot be forced to do military-related work for an occupying force.

Art. 40
Civilians cannot be forced to do military-related work for an occupying force.

Art. 54
They are to be paid fairly for any assigned work.

With that said the number of geneva conventions violations committed by the parties involved is extensive.

Do you realize you are referencing something that took place 4 years after the end of WWII? How does that all apply to anything prior to 1949?

a reply to: buster2010
I'm pretty sure that the SS were accepting even non Germans halfway into the war, a quick search brings up this info..not sure about the site as a source.
inconvenienthistory.com...

Cool, only taken them how long ? so how long till we catch Bush out? see what im saying? anyone? anyone? Bueller ?

a reply to: Xtrozero

In fact, yes.

This link will give a good overview. ...and many Asian countries went after accused Japanese war criminals, as well.

a reply to: Xtrozero

He made a general statement about forced civilian conscription. I pointed out that under certain conditions its allowed.

As for the Geneva convention the 1st convention was put into place in 1864 with the 4th convention being adopted in 1947.

originally posted by: YouNeedMe

originally posted by: VoidHawk
I cant help but wonder what good this will do?
Ninety three years old? Whats the point other than revenge?

Shouldn't we move on?

What good will it do? .. It keeps the Holocaust alive, they need to be seen as a perpetual victim in the eyes of the world to keep the "POOR JEWs" industry going..

That, I can agree with

There were about 5 million Pols killed and we hear nothing about that, but oh the poor jews!

originally posted by: Xcathdra
a reply to: kosmicjack

and not prosecuting him sends the message that its ok to participate in the death's of hundreds of thousands of people and get away with it if you make it to a certain age.


There is a reason these crimes dont have a statute of limitations. Not prosecuting due to age is a disservice to those individuals who outlived their parents who were murdered.

Completely WRONG. Participate ??? What CHOICE did he have in being drafted into service??

It's 70years ago. He was 23 at the time. Do you have any idea the amount of thinking a person can do in SEVENTY YEARS ????

He's ninety-three for fcks sakes. He's made his peace with himself, and he wasn't personally guilty of genocide of any sort. This kind of prosecution is PETTY, and just turns people against the Jewish cause, so it's ultimately foolish anyway. Every day people are turning more against Israel, and beginning to question the authenticity of past claims.

NOT prosecuting this man shows mercy. It's shows forgiveness, it shows decency. It acknowledges the fact that not everyone WANTED to be part of the system, and in fact, not everyone had knowledge of what was happening. The people on the ground were not told of the "final solution". That's kinda RULE#1 of Hot-to-take-over-the-world: You don't reveal your sinister plan to anyone but the top people involved. Everyone else was told a cover story. They would only be told that millions were dying of Typhus.

Jewish people worldwide have risen to amazing heights of achievement since the war; some of the best medical innovations, great industrial engineering, very advanced weaponry, so really they need a leader who keeps focus on being positive and proud, rather than constantly bleating on about the past. The world is waiting to hear something NEW from Jewish people.


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originally posted by: Xcathdra
a reply to: WilsonWilson

The intentional targeting / shooting of unarmed civilians during times of war is in fact a war crime. Not to mention a violation of the Geneva convention.

People seem to forget this when Israel does it. In the last go around in Gaza they murdered over a thousand. When will the trials be held for Benny and the rest of the Israeli government.

originally posted by: buster2010
People seem to forget this when Israel does it. In the last go around in Gaza they murdered over a thousand. When will the trials be held for Benny and the rest of the Israeli government.

Launching a military attack from the middle of populated civilian areas with the intent on creating civilian casualties from the response is also a war crime.

The Geneva convention allows for reprisal if one side violates it.

Maybe if Hamas would drop their "wipe Israel off the face of the Earth" from their charter peace might come. Maybe if people went after both sides instead of just concentrating on Israel for what ever their reasoning things might improve.

Absent that Hamas will murder from the middle of population centers knowing Israel will respond. Its not Israel killing civilians in Gaza, its Hamas.

But who cares about facts right?

originally posted by: VoidHawk

There were about 5 million Pols killed and we hear nothing about that, but oh the poor jews!

There is something really wrong with your statement...

a reply to: 8675309jenny

A person has to have certain criteria in order to join the SS and it was not a secret inside the SS as to what they were doing.

I don't care if he was a cook he worked at a location where the end result was the intentional murder of civilians. Even as a cook he is assisting the other SS members in doing their job by keeping them fed.

So no im not wrong. I think this individual should be shown the exact Mercy the SS showed their prisoners.

The guy who joined the SS and worked there and how is charged with the 170k counts of murder was and is still wrong.

a reply to: scubagravy

Cool, only taken them how long ? so how long till we catch Bush out? see what im saying? anyone? anyone? Bueller ?

What you're saying is the Bush regime, is just as guilty as this guy
and I agree. None of them should be spared either.

"You did not bear the shame.

You resisted.

You bestowed the eternally vigilant symbol of change

by sacrificing your impassioned lives for freedom, justice and honor".

- German resistance monument.


"Whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world".

— Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:9; Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 37a


"Never Again"

A pledge made by the world that what occurred during WWII must never occur again. It is based in the fact that by appeasing and having the mindset of its not happening in my country so I wont do anything about it results in the loss of more life than what would have been lost confronting that ideology in the first place.


The term never forget is why these prosecutions are absolutely necessary.