Mastodawn

Qasim Rashid, Esq.

A note from a human rights lawyer to members of the U.S. Armed Forces: If you are directed to execute illegal orders, remember, declaring “I was just following orders” was not deemed a valid defense during the Nuremberg trials, and it won’t be a valid defense here either.

You have an oath to the U.S. Constitition and due process of law. Honor that—not the illegal orders of a 34X convicted felon.

@QasimRashid: Not sure how many active duty military there are frequenting mastodon out there...

@petitioning_the_empty_sky I doubt many are.

@DarthAstrius: I was once in the military, but I am in no way indicative of what is normal. Not my problem anymore.

That Smoke Pit Veteran 5d ago

@petitioning_the_empty_sky @QasimRashid OP Fails to realize that Active Duty will still remain listening to orders. It's either follow orders or get faced with dishonorable discharge and face a complicated life ahead. Other factors: AWOL.

If you're Active Duty, don't take advice from someone that has never saved in the Military Component. A toot won't save you.

Petr Skála 6d ago

@QasimRashid 👍👍👍

Nicole Parsons 6d ago

The Jan 6 Insurrectionists may have been pardoned eventually, but in the meantime many faced ruinous legal bills and public opprobrium.

Larry Ellison
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/20/larry-ellison-oracle-trump-election-challenges/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattdurot/2022/10/12/tech-billionaire-larry-ellisons-record-political-giving-funds-election-deniers-in-midterms/

The billionaires who funded Jan 6 faced no consequences, only their chumps did.

Dick Uihlein

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2023/01/27/where-the-uihleins-sent-their-cash-after-the-insurrection-00079999

The ICE Nazis face the same fate.
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/money-behind-january-6-flowing-2022-elections

After sacrificing themselves for the 1%, these gullible fools get dumped when things get too hot.

Oracle’s Larry Ellison joined Nov. 2020 call about contesting Trump’s loss

The billionaire GOP donor, the biggest backer of Elon Musk’s attempted Twitter takeover, participated along with Fox’s Sean Hannity and Sen. Lindsey Graham, according to court filings and a participant.

The Washington Post

@QasimRashid A counterpoint - nearly no one who „just followed orders” in Cambodia, Serbia, Russia, Transnistria, Israel, Palestine, Iran, Syria etc. had faced any meaningful consequences.

The future in which that’s not a valid defense is nowhere near being certain. The future in which a defense is needed isn’t assured either.

AzureArmageddon 6d ago

@QasimRashid The mystery of how one man can be convicted 34 times and not face any jail time...

@QasimRashid everyone who doesn't acts as a war criminal and will be identified, found and face justice!

@QasimRashid they all forgot what they shouted sooo proudly:

I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

https://www.army.mil/values/oath.html

Oath of Enlistment - Army Values

The following is the Oath of Commissioned Officers

That Smoke Pit Veteran 5d ago

@utf_7 @QasimRashid "I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me"
Military is part of the Executive Branch.

@thatsmokepit @QasimRashid stupid me thought naming the constitution first gives it more weight and a higher priority

Jeffandthekid 6d ago

@QasimRashid One breadth away from betraying your country.

@QasimRashid The sad thing is that the governor(s) of whatever state's NG they are using could simply refuse to activate their units and turn them over to the federal government, if they had any backbone. It's not wartime, there is no disaster, and Guardsmen aren't going to be any better riot police than the police whose job it is normally. It's a dangerous political stunt, is all.

Erik L. Midtsveen 🏳️‍⚧️🇳🇴6d ago

@QasimRashid A scummy, orange, ugly, fascist, and a felon!

Indy Richard 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿6d ago

@QasimRashid It worth pointing out that in Nazi Germany those who reported their neighbours, those who arrested these people, those who transported them to the death camps and those who killed them were not breaking the law of the time. The person who was breaking the law was the one who tried to help these people.
Just because something is 'the law' doesn't make it right.

James Cameroun 5d ago

@IndyRichard @QasimRashid and just because it's not right doesn't mean they were condamned for doing so, even though they definitely contributed to the whole destruction process. That's why as irrelevant as it seems and actually is, the "simply following orders" defense still plays a part in the reluctance to judge every single asshole who made it happen.

James Cameroun 6d ago

@QasimRashid Only partly true IMHO as those in Nuremberg who used such defense were found guilty of not just obeying but taking initiatives. Most of those killing civilians or simply taking part in the massacre (which can be done by merely helping in the persecution process) get away with it.

Frobbotzim 5d ago

Old enough to remember Lt. William Calley; have since learned that much of his sentence was commuted, but that he claimed not a day went by without remorse.

That's cold consolation for the relatives of the victims of his actions. But a good reminder that we're all sentenced to life with our consciences.

@QasimRashid The incongruity between not knowing if it's your job to uphold the Constitution, while simultaneously vowing to punish "lawlessness," is simply mind-blowing.

stony kark 5d ago

@QasimRashid that was, apparently, the only lesson anyone took from WW2 so don’t fuck it up soldier boys

Babadofar 5d ago

@QasimRashid yes the Nuremberg principle is very significant. In my interpretation it makes it quite difficult to participate as a soldier of lower rank. It puts, rightly, the responsibility on the individual for any action they take part in. Therefore, obeying orders, becomes optional. Makes the army inefficient

@QasimRashid Sadly, I doubt most soldiers who would be deployed to these situations know what the Nuremberg trials were.

How do we get this statement in front of all the military personnel to remind them of what they should know?

MemphisDaPlaya 🎲🎲5d ago

I guess they can all "hang together" if they follow illegal orders?

According to the Military Code of Justice?

decapitae 5d ago

@QasimRashid We're going to have to drop flyers of this, using drones on top of active conflict zones. The military "leadership" is renowned for not telling troops the truth in order to acheive desired objectives.

Susi Arnott 5d ago

@QasimRashid Remembering #Chimerica play: 'tank guy' hero at Tiananmen Square was the one who wouldn't obey orders and drive over the protestor. That said, overwhelmed by bravery of people on the streets of LA

Grovewest 5d ago

@QasimRashid My father was a decorated WW2 vet who always said ‘I swore an oath to the constitution not politicians’. He was opposed to targeting civilians for any reason, thought it was senseless murder and did nothing to help win the war.

efhastings 5d ago

@QasimRashid please boost that there is legal help and counseling available.
https://girightshotline.org/
877-447–4487

GI Rights Hotline: Military Discharges and Military Counseling

Are you in the military or thinking about joining? Are you unsure of where to get reliable answers? Call the GI Rights Hotline at 1-877-447-4487. Call for yourself or someone you care about Free and confidential One hotline for a nationwide network of counseling centers

Wyatt H Knott 4d ago

@QasimRashid Also, we don't give a shit if you wear a mask, we'll just use your payroll records at the war crimes trials.

That is, if people don't start shooting the ICE cosplayers first.

max oakland 2d ago

@QasimRashid we need a Nuremberg II