"The fact that a person acted pursuant to orders of his government or of a superior does not relieve him from responsibility under international law, provided a moral choice was, in fact, possible to him." - from the Nuremberg Code, established by the United States during the trials which took place in Germany after WWII.
The current NSA "scandal" makes it essential to make clear to - or remind - Americans that the "State" (i.e. the Government) is NOT the "Country." Europeans and others who have lived under imposed "States" know this very well; we do not. Note the Germans who left Germany during the Nazi era and worked to save their Country (Marlene Dietrich was one), those who fought the Vichy "Government" of France, working with the Resistance, and on and on...those who fought to save their country from the state. "Governments lie," said the great I. F. Stone to a journalism class at Columbia. "All governments lie. They don't lie all the time but all of them lie." He closed the class saying, "If you take nothing else from my talk today, take this."
All of us know the quote, "My country, right or wrong." But few know the full quote, "My country right or wrong; when it is right, to be kept right; when it is wrong, to be set right." Blind loyalty to ANYTHING, to ANY POWER, to ANY GOVERNMENT is to surrender one's moral compass, one's freedom and, with these, one's self-respect. So, let us "come to the aid of our country" without swearing blind fealty to the state. Most "whistle blowers" are blowing the whistle on the "State" in defense and protection of the "Country." Some may be misguided but most are motivated by a sense of ethical and moral purpose. They are genuine patriots.
Richard Block
Santa Fe, NM
No comments:
Post a Comment