The obscenity of breaking a butterly on a wheel

[Sculptor]

100-year-old former Nazi camp guard goes on trial in Germany

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 33965.html

Most civilised countries have a statute of limitations, less than 75 years. and civilized countries do not charge people for crimes that were legal when commited.
There is not a single molecule in this man's body that was there 75 years ago. He is not the same person in any serious repect.
Moreover he was just a camp guard, he did not have anymore choice that any foot soldier in the field, and other subaltern told to follow instructions or face sanctions.
What he did was perfectly legal at the time. The camps were designed and sanctioned at the highest level of the German government.
Society rewards as it chooses. Werner Von Braun, one of the key architechs of the Nazi terror was given an nice job in the USA. He was directly responsible for thousands of deaths. As a member of the establishment he was protected.

What we see here is a national shame, but the punishment is being directed at the lowliest member of society.
I wonder if this show trial has more to do with German/Israel relations than real justice?

[Veganman]

I agree, in a sense, but making evil lawful is no excuse. However, I do not see the point in the cost of such a high profile trial combined, undoubtedly, with the cost of a prison sentence for the remainder of this old guys life. Surely such costs could be better spent by way of reparation to survivors, or their relatives than by punishment to an old man who probably understands little of what's going on, or for that matter, little of what went on. So yes, this is more of a show trial, a matter of justice being seen to be done, rather than it actually being done. It did make me think though of what was once "legal" becoming a crime. I wonder what the future has in store for those who work in slaughterhouses, and for those who support and participate in what may one day be seen as a crime. As someone once said: "To the animals all men are Nazis."

[Sculptor]

I agree, in a sense, but making evil lawful is no excuse. However, I do not see the point in the cost of such a high profile trial combined, undoubtedly, with the cost of a prison sentence for the remainder of this old guys life. Surely such costs could be better spent by way of reparation to survivors, or their relatives than by punishment to an old man who probably understands little of what's going on, or for that matter, little of what went on. So yes, this is more of a show trial, a matter of justice being seen to be done, rather than it actually being done. It did make me think though of what was once "legal" becoming a crime. I wonder what the future has in store for those who work in slaughterhouses, and for those who support and participate in what may one day be seen as a crime. As someone once said: "To the animals all men are Nazis."

Making evil legal.
Evil is that which is not currently liked. Good is that which is.
Role the clock forwards to a time when Islam rules the world. WIll it be possible for any service personnel working in Afghanistan or Iraq to have to face the judgement of a sharia court?
I'm sure there are many other examples.