From SCJ Robert Jackson's closing statement at the Nuremburg Trials:

[babylonsister]

. From the closing statement of US Supreme Court Justice, Robert Jackson as he served as chief prosecutor at the Nuremburg Trials in 1946:

"In conspiracy we do not punish one man for another man's crime. We seek to punish each for his own crime of joining a common criminal plan in which others also participated. The measure of the criminality of the plan and therefore of the guilt of each participant is, of course, the sum total of crimes committed by all in executing the plan. But the gist of the offense is participation in the formulation or execution of the plan.

These are rules which every society has found necessary in order to reach men, like these defendants, who never get blood on their own hands but who lay plans that result in the shedding of blood. All over Germany today, in every zone of occupation, little men who carried out these criminal policies under orders are being convicted and punished.

It would present a vast and unforgivable caricature of justice if the men who planned these policies and directed these little men should escape all penalty."

From a fine article here:

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/19308
America's Acid Test

[bobthedrummer]

1. These Bush/Cheney traitors and criminals must not go gently into the night-k&r

[babylonsister]

2. That's my fondest wish. nt

[OhioChick]

3. K&R

:kick:

[leftstreet]

4. K&R

[LeftofU]

5. K&R

[BeFree]

6. What was good enough then...

...is good enough today.

Who can say that the planned policies were not criminal?
Who can say that there isn't blood on the hands of many many little men that were just following orders?

[puebloknot]

7. K&R Thank you for this reminder. I wonder what percentage ...

... of our citizenry today even knows what the Nuremberg Trials were all about.

We *must* go after the *big men* who gave the orders, if we ever expect to have the respect of the world again. What hypocrites we are if we revel in the justice done at our hands to the criminals in Germany after The War, and turn a blind eye to similar, and worse, behavior on the part of our own leaders.

Obama faces a defining moment with regard to whether he supports justice or cynicism in the matter of holding to account the cabal that seized power in this country in 2000. I hope, but dimly, that he will take the high road!

[bobthedrummer]

8. Nuremberg Trials Chronology page from The Truman Library

http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/nuremberg/

[ColbertWatcher]

9. Kick, too late to rec. : ( n/t