Mass Murderers Who Were Just Carring Out Orders

Hannah Arendt, the social philosopher, followed the Eichmann trial, and wrote a book titled “Report on the banality of evil“. According to her testimony, Eichmann was an ordinary, average and aggressive bureaucrat that regards himself as only one link in the chain. 

Psychiatrists who examined him said that he was mentally healthy and that his relationships with other people were satisfying. He sincerely believed that Jews should be allowed to migrate to a particular area. His secret mistress was Jewish, and one of his cousins was also Jew for whom he made sure that nothing happens. 

Many of the crimes in the Third Reich were made by ordinary people who were “just” listening commands. There is a great chance that an ordinary, average and decent person can become a criminal. Of course it is not easy to  accept it ! We want to believe that evil deeds are just evil people. 

I was only carring out orders

One of those who was “only carring out orders” was the William Calley, U.S. Army lieutenant, accused for the massacre of the inhabitants of the Vietnamese village of My Lai in 1968. 

On the spectacular trial that took place in 1969., Calley said: “I am absolutely on the side of the army, I stand behind it and I’m part of it. The Army is my first, and then comes everything else. No matter how much some of my statements could help my defense, I will never say anything that would harm our military”. 

Everybody, except the Calley, understand that he was chosen for a scapegoat through which they will try to cover up their guilt. 

And those who testified against Calley “were only carried out orders”: 

He told me (liutenant Calley) to start shooting. And so I began. I fired at a group of four bursts … They began to pray, saying, “No, no.” And the mothers hugged their children and … We continued to shoot. They waved their hands and begged.