Poll: The Nuremberg trials today

[0p3rati0n]

Ok I've been wonder lately are the Nuremberg trials even worth it today? The Nuremberg Trials are trials that put Nazis up for war crimes after WWII. But are they worth it today. The nazis today are over 80 years old! So what are we worried about. OMG they have a cane run for you lives! Yes they did bad stuff in the past. But why send them to jail or put them to death (if they receive it) for what ever years they have left? It's kinda of a jacka** move to take their life and throw it away.

So my fellow Escapist. Here's the question do you think the Nuremberg Trials are really worth it today? Is it really worth it hunting down 80 year old men for something they did 50 years ago?

 

[sallene]

spell checking is your friend.

 

[0p3rati0n]

spell checking is your friend.

better? Nuremberg was that only words that came up for spell check.

 

[MasterStratus]

Yes, it is necessary.
I think it's more of a message to people that no matter how long ago you did something, it'll come back to get you.
True, they're old now. But they're still murderers.

 

[megapenguinx]

Yes, yes they should still get the justice they deserve.

 

[slevin8989]

Yes, it is necessary.
I think it's more of a message to people that no matter how long ago you did something, it'll come back to get you.
True, they're old now. But they're still murderers.

This no matter how old they are they have to take responsibility for what they did in the past

 

[Amethyst Wind]

While I'm not a fan of the Nuremberg defense, I agree that the WW2 Nazi soldiers shouldn't be punished 60 years later, there's very little point except to prematurely kill a bunch of old men.

However, nowadays if any active soldiers try to use a Nuremberg-esque defense to justify their warcrimes (looking at you, soldiers serving in the middle east) then they should be prosecuted heavily.

 

[The Infamous Scamola]

I don't care how old they are, if they get caught, they're going to jail.

It kinda makes me even more mad that a lot of 'em have actually managed to evade capture and are still living it up at 80 years old in a mansion in Brazil or something.

 

[sallene]

spell checking is your friend.

better? Nuremberg was that only words that came up for spell check.

Extremely. I am not usually a spelling Nazi... but It tends to be a must if you want to have a serious discussion about such a historical event.


As for my opinion.


There is no possible real way to answer that. I was not alive during that time, I was not a first hand witness to the account so if I did try to add anything it would not account for much.


History shows that they were found guilty(or accussed/participant) of a henious crime. If you wanted to ask if there should be a statute of limitations on what they are accused of then thats a harder nut to crack. I can see if these germans went other places to participate in other genocides but most of these men simply disappeared and faded out into the back grounds.

Being part german myself and having family that were members and soldiers in the nazi army I can honestly say that if my grandfather was alive today and someone came knocking down his door to haul him off for war crimes I would probably spend ever last penny fighting it because I do not know of the things he may or may not have done during the war, but I do know the things they he did while I knew him. Does that change what he may or may not have done? No, but as his family and as a person who knew him it would give me reason to doubt the validity or severity of such accusations after such a long time.

To make a long post short. let them die in peace of old age. Enough heartache, headaches and bloodshed has been committed over this whole ordeal. Its been 50 years now and the documents they had during the time were a bit sketchy then.

 

[xxDarlenexx]

You're not putting them on trial because they are a threat now. You're putting them for the crimes that they are accused of committing in the past, whether it was last Tuesday or in 1943. Yes, it is still relevant. If they are guilty they need to be held accountable.

 

[Ancalagon]

Ok I've been wonder lately are the Nuremberg trials even worth it today? The Nuremberg Trials are trials that put Nazis up for war crimes after WWII. But are they worth it today. The nazis today are over 80 years old! So what are we worried about. OMG they have a cane run for you lives!

The point isn't that they're still dangerous, the point is that they should be punished for the acts that they committed.

Yes they did bad stuff in the past. But why send them to jail or put them to death (if they receive it) for what ever years they have left? It's kinda of a jacka** move to take their life and throw it away.

So how long do you think it should be before past crimes are irrelevant? Should it take into account the seriousness of the crime? If someone murdered a member of your family, how long do you think it should take before, in the eyes of the law, the crime no longer counts? These people's actions led to the deaths of millions.

So my fellow Escapist. Here's the question do you think the Nuremberg Trials are really worth it today? Is it really worth it hunting down 80 year old men for something they did 50 years ago?

When what they did 50 years ago was genocide, then yes.

 

[The Infamous Scamola]

Being part german myself and having family that were members and soldiers in the nazi army I can honestly say that if my grandfather was alive today and someone came knocking down his door to haul him off for war crimes I would probably spend ever last penny fighting it because I do not know of the things he may or may not have done during the war, but I do know the things they he did while I knew him.

I'm sure nobody is talking about prosecuting the soldiers, we're talking about the Officers and Generals that took an active part in the genocide and are now on the run living in some southern american country.

 

[Nmil-ek]

I personaly dont care, If its only the higher ups and people who ordered such attrocities keep chasing them, If its the soldiers I would protest tooth and nail alot of innocent people were conscripted during the war, black mailed or simply had to kill to survive like any of us would do.

 

[Trendkill6]

I feel like they should be punished, but how can you make an 80 year old man's life any worse?
Plus giving them a quick virtually painless death seems alot better then letting them die slowly from a painful disease.

 

[0p3rati0n]

But I find it a waste of time and technology to try to hunt these men down. If the guilt hollows them out then let them rat themselves out.

 

[0p3rati0n]

Plus giving them a quick virtually painless death seems alot better then letting them die slowly from a painful disease.

there is no painless death. There is always some pain no matter how quick.

 

[Kuliani]

You're not putting them on trial because they are a threat now. You're putting them for the crimes that they are accused of committing in the past, whether it was last Tuesday or in 1943. Yes, it is still relevant. If they are guilty they need to be held accountable.

Yes, this is why they are still being pursued. They broke the law and need to stand trial for their crimes. Some laws do have a limit where they can no longer be tried for the crime, but war crimes, murder, and such do not have a limit.

 

[Weaver]

What if they were in Hitler's youth against their will like my great uncle?
What if they were forced into the military through other means?
They were more or less forced to follow any and all orders from high command good or bad.

 

[fix-the-spade]

So my fellow Escapist. Here's the question do you think the Nuremberg Trials are really worth it today? Is it really worth it hunting down 80 year old men for something they did 50 years ago?

In a word yes, the fact that more than 60 years after world war 2 ended most of the western world still wants to see these people in jail should put a sense of how bad there offences are. They probably woldn't get the death penalty now.

Neither time nor age excuse the crimes.

 

[sallene]

Being part german myself and having family that were members and soldiers in the nazi army I can honestly say that if my grandfather was alive today and someone came knocking down his door to haul him off for war crimes I would probably spend ever last penny fighting it because I do not know of the things he may or may not have done during the war, but I do know the things they he did while I knew him.

I'm sure nobody is talking about prosecuting the soldiers, we're talking about the Officers and Generals that took an active part in the genocide and are now on the run living in some southern american country.

My Grandfather was a clerk in Hitler's retinue up until hitler got really paranoid and he was re-assigned. I can honestly say I have no idea if he did or didnt know anything about what was going on as we never talked about it but if he was still alive and someone came to take him away by virtue of proximity then I would most definetely spend every cent and ruin myself financially to defend him.