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basically the reasons the doctor keep the arm was "I kept this guy's arm as a relic to tell myself I'm a good person!" like idk what to say

  • eylligator [undecided,any]
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    4 years ago

    correct me if im wrong, but isnt this the nazi soldier defense? "they were drafted! they had to!"

    like, im sorry, i know propaganda is strong is america but the choice between jail time and slaughtering innocents by the millions is clear. plus, yes there was propganda, but there was also a pretty important anti war movement? and people heard stories from their families and friends about what was going on there. and i think its unfair to all of us (the the vietnamese, americans, soliders, etc.) to give them a pass on this. you dont have to go around screaming at them or whatever, but the vietnam war sucked, and every american who helped participated in genocide is both a sucker and a murderer.

    we as a country need to learn to deal with our genocidal past and present. and how much nuance is needed on this website about this anyway? people say "kill cops" and ACAB and literally post clips of cops dying and getting beaten here, but heaven forbid someone say "vietnam vets are pieces of shit?" that ....confuses me.

    • garbage [none/use name,he/him]
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      4 years ago

      there's definitely similarities, but there are nuances. the nazi soldier defense is a legitimate defense for random grunts who consisted of poor people on the front line who were forced to participate in the armed forces of their country at the time, but not for those that volunteered. every soldier drafted from germany in wwii is considered a nazi. the defense falls through when they're fucking guarding a concentration camp.

      cops aren't drafted. they're fucking voluntary. they're all bastards.

      • eylligator [undecided,any]
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        4 years ago

        okay, thats fine, and even a good point! im also sure many cops could tell you "it was the only job available and i had to take it to feed my family" and in a lot of cases it would even be true! the job market in rural places and even some isolated cities/suburbs is abysmal. but that wouldnt not make them a piece of shit. becoming an armed oppressor, taking on that mantle to save yourself is.....well, i can understand it, but i dont think i can fully forgive or reconcile myself with it.

        but then again, i dont have to. its not my country they committed a genocide against. i couldnt ever bring myself to ask victims for nuance or understanding over a genocide. im happy this was restorative for the man in this case, but we have to accept this wont always be so. i believe we have to reconcile with the overwhelming negative impact our country has had on the lives of millions and we have to do that without caveats and concessions for our own feelings on the matter, or else will always learn to justify it.

    • hogposting [he/him,comrade/them]
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      4 years ago

      Deeming an 18-year-old soldier 100% responsible for their choices is inconsistent with what we know about brain development, especially when there's a national propaganda apparatus talking them into the wrong decision. We can't (rightly) recognize how kids should have their development factored in by the criminal legal system (when there isn't national propaganda taking them into crime) but then turn around and ignore all that for 18-year-old troops.

        • hogposting [he/him,comrade/them]
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          4 years ago

          Oh yeah, I'm not saying let teenagers completely off the hook for serious crimes. I'm saying it's a factor we should (and sometimes do) consider in a criminal context, so it should be a factor here, too.