[Mr Poo]

Little late..

[GG57]

My late husband was German, born and raised, and his father fought for the Germans in WW2. I have heard lots of stories and I can say that the Germans of his generation are still very much mentally traumatized by WW2. They are still in a mental mode that they should keep to themselves to a certain extent.

My father-in-law, if he were living would be 94, one year older than the man they have arrested. He was a driver for the army and was at Stalingrad and never had anything to do with the camps, but there was still tremendous guilt. He had no choice in whether he joined the army or not just as, I am sure, this old gentleman had no choice.

Most of them, and I know there were some that gladly participated in the atrocities, just reported for duty and did what they were told. Just like every other soldier in every other country. I think it is very, very wrong to go after these old men. They were younger than my son is now when this all happened. Time does not heal all wounds but time should be taken into account when some of these prosecutions are considered.

These people have often gone through their own personal hell and, at 93 years of age, I am sure that what was witnessed by them has been punishment enough.

I also think that, while it is unpopular in certain groups, that the Jewish community needs to rethink some of their ideas. Of course, people like Mengele, Göring, Himmler, etc., should have been held accountable for thinking up and carrying out their horrible plans, but I am appalled by some of the things that people like Elie Wiesel have said. Things like that even the grandchildren of Germans that were in WW2 should be punished. That is absolutely ridiculous and, if it were carried out, would include my son, who was born 42 years after the War and in a different country,

[niknik]

I suppose late is better than never. He admits to taking part in one of the most horrible acts ever committed. No matter what his role was, he took part in a war crime. I really don't agree it's actually a war crime, that's what they call it. What they were doing at these camps had nothing to do with war.
Anyway this guy knew women, children, elderly, even babies and pregnant women were being murdered by the thousands and hidden with his help. How he could accept that and participate I can't understand.

[TheVrist]

I'm sure he had three options..

transfer to the Russian frontline. and die..
desert and die.
Or take a lucrative guard duty job and live.

next time, ask a early 20s kid at gun point, what extent of orders he will do to live.

[GregK]

Guy is almost dead and was just following orders I imagine. Let him live out his years

[azdesertsnake01]

Originally Posted by GregK ↗

Guy is almost dead and was just following orders I imagine. Let him live out his years

Live out his YEARS? You're quiet the optimist. I would say let him live out his days or months. Lol.

[30564U]

GG57 I can relate. I've met Elie Wiesel a couple of times and he's been a bit of an ass each time...he's nothing like Simon Weisenthal, who actually went after Nazis when they were in their prime. Don't forget...when the WWII generation finally dies off, a lot of "Nazi hunters" and "Nazi prosecutors" are going to be out of a job. Guys like Wiesel worry that he'll lose significance when there are no more Nazis. So he advocates going after the children and grand children of Nazis...see as long as there are Nazi boogymen then he's still relevant.

Unfortunately, unlike your late father-in-law, this guy was straight up SS. Not SS infantry, not SS armor, not SS law enforcement, but he was an SS prison guard (the lowest of the low even by Nazi standards). Even though he just handled luggage and counted money...he was SS. That means that he was both racially, physically, and philosophically vetted prior to being accepted into the SS. He would also have had to specifically volunteer to the SS and to be assigned as a prison guard. Granted he's old, but not quite as totally innocent as he maintains. But, the Germans have had 70+ years to prosecute this guy. I know there are no statue of limitations on genocide, but God all mighty...if you can't get it done in 70 years, I'd say you lost your chance. I hate to say something bad about Isreal, but they need to stop bullying the historically confused Germans and worry about the damned Muslim terrorists.

[GRiZ]

Better late than never

[Pigeon]

Originally Posted by 30564U ↗

Unfortunately, unlike your late father-in-law, this guy was straight up SS. Not SS infantry, not SS armor, not SS law enforcement, but he was an SS prison guard (the lowest of the low even by Nazi standards). Even though he just handled luggage and counted money...he was SS. That means that he was both racially, physically, and philosophically vetted prior to being accepted into the SS. He would also have had to specifically volunteer to the SS and to be assigned as a prison guard. Granted he's old, but not quite as totally innocent as he maintains.

Good point

I agree that if he's guilty now, he should have been found guilty at the time. He wasn't in hiding. It's like because most Nazis — including some of the worst ones — have died off now without seeing justice, compensation must be made.

[TheVrist]

Seems considering the era, and a country chock full of peasants with equivalent to 5th grade intelligence , it would be easy for leaders to "racially, physically, and philosophically vetted prior to being accepted into the SS." people.

I don't condone it, but i also won't pretend the mentality fit the bill to modern social standards. Hell even today it would be easy for the government to coheres the mass of their society to hate a certain group. I'd imagine it was cake walk for them that many years ago.