No. I think he sees a very distinct difference (as do I) between an Eichman and a Calley, and the more between a Calley and a grunt.
Eichman's guilt wasn't that he killed anyone, because he didn't. No, his guilt was that he made it possible for millions (as many as 13 millions) to be killed with ease, as a matter of, "rational" policy. In that he is far worse than any Calley.
The more doable comparison would be to say Macnamara (because he seems to have been aware, well before he left office of what the war in Viet-nam was doing, both to the Viet-namese, and to the people we sent there) is the Eichman in that comparison.
The troops at My Lai, well they aren't so much equivalent to death camp guards, they aren't even at the same level of evil as a member of members of einsatzgruppen. They fell victim to one of the insanities of war. On a different day they might have done a very different thing.
The people whom Eugene (if I read him correctly) would consign to this most gruesome of retributions are those who, by consistent action, as well as by long term awareness of the heinous nature of what they are doing, have left aside most claims to humanity (by civilised measure) and as such, civilisation no longer owes them humane treatment.
I find this argument abhorrent, but it can be quite consistent, and still not apply to Calley, et al..
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Date: 2005-03-21 12:43 am (UTC)Eichman's guilt wasn't that he killed anyone, because he didn't. No, his guilt was that he made it possible for millions (as many as 13 millions) to be killed with ease, as a matter of, "rational" policy. In that he is far worse than any Calley.
The more doable comparison would be to say Macnamara (because he seems to have been aware, well before he left office of what the war in Viet-nam was doing, both to the Viet-namese, and to the people we sent there) is the Eichman in that comparison.
The troops at My Lai, well they aren't so much equivalent to death camp guards, they aren't even at the same level of evil as a member of members of einsatzgruppen. They fell victim to one of the insanities of war. On a different day they might have done a very different thing.
The people whom Eugene (if I read him correctly) would consign to this most gruesome of retributions are those who, by consistent action, as well as by long term awareness of the heinous nature of what they are doing, have left aside most claims to humanity (by civilised measure) and as such, civilisation no longer owes them humane treatment.
I find this argument abhorrent, but it can be quite consistent, and still not apply to Calley, et al..
TK