Rogue 9 wrote:Titan Uranus wrote:lance wrote:
If he gives speeches to groups of people, being in a cell might make that harder
Then he can be led out, bound hand and foot, before crowds and cameras so that he may make his speeches. Alternatively, he may make his speeches from his cell.
He's an old man; just how physically dangerous or capable of cross-country sprinting do you think he is? He doesn't need to be in fetters to be prevented from escaping.
I am not worried about his escape, the fetters are to rob him of dignity, and in doing so render him pathetic. It seems to me that a significant part of the limited popularity of Nazism in Germany is due to the fact that many of the young see the Nazis as "cool", the fact that the ideology is forbidden in Germany does not help matters. Killing the man renders him a martyr, especially because of his successful reintegration into society. The fetters are for display, you'll note that I specified a comfortable cell, I was not being sarcastic in that, there is no reason that he cannot be kept in what the German equivalent of white-collar prison is, as long as in public, he is made to look as pathetic as possible in order to drive home the idea to the young Nazis of Germany that should they attempt to follow in his footsteps that they will not die as martyrs (for a great many young men do not care if they die) but that they will lose and look stupid and pathetic (which I strongly suspect that they are afraid of).
I will never be caught wishing anything but swift justice on anyone who was any part of the Nazi death machine, but I find it arguable that death or long imprisonment is justice for someone who was drafted into an ancillary clerking post, tried to transfer out (especially to front-line combat on the Eastern Front; he was willing to put himself in great danger to get away), and never killed anyone while there. If they had someone who was operating a gas chamber then yes, he would deserve death for not disobeying his orders, but that isn't what we're talking about. Should he face retribution even at this late date? Arguably yes, but given the (lack of) magnitude of his crime, and his activities since, treating him as a cold-blooded murderer seems overboard.
1. I commend you for you courageous stance against Nazism, but this man forfeited his life long ago, and might I suggest that what remains of it might be more useful to the cause alive rather than dead?
2. Transfer to an SS unit on the Eastern front would also be provide many opportunities to commit murder against the Slavs, as well as killing them in battle, and would also be consistent with him being a true believer in the Nazi cause. I might have missed something, but as far as I know we only really have his word and letters to contradict that.
3. The lateness of the hour and his actions since may call for some leniency, which is why I specified a comfortable cell, but it is absurd to let a man who joined an organization dedicated to to eradication of somewhere between much of and most of the Earth's population, and which made concrete steps toward that point go free simply because politics prevented him from being prosecuted earlier. If he had turned his coat before the end of the war it would be different, but instead he waited until he was in no danger from doing so, and indeed he gained notoriety for denouncing Nazism.
lance wrote:Titan Uranus wrote:lance wrote:What about the argument that severely punishing people in ancillary and positions might encourage others to go down fighting, as opposed to surrendering?
That would be a fair point, if there were any actual Nazis of relevance left, but they have all long since surrendered. The nationalists and Nazi sympathizers who still have power would not feel threatened by this man's fate, no matter what it may be.
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I am more thinking of this setting precedent for current organizations like the LRA, Boko Haram, Hamas, and ISIS
None of those groups could possibly care what distant, irrelevant (to them) Germany does to this man.
Most war criminals and genociders go free, especially those outside of the first world, why should they care whether this cog goes free or dies in prison?