[ExI] pussy riot case

Ben Zaiboc bbenzai at yahoo.com
Thu Aug 23 08:45:23 UTC 2012


"spike" <spike66 at att.net> wrote:

> >... On Behalf Of Ben Zaiboc
> ...
> 
> >...Do you think an oath, once sworn, must be binding
> under *all
> circumstances*, including a change in the perceived nature
> of the entity the
> oath was sworn to?
> 
> Ben Zaiboc
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
> PFC Manning was still on active duty when he leaked. 
> The military is a
> special case.  Until their hitch is up, no they don't
> have the legal option
> of breaking the oaths that they chose to enter when they
> volunteered.


I'm not talking about a legal option, though.  I'm talking about doing what you believe is the right thing, morally.  Of course he would have to expect to pay the price for breaking the letter of the law, as other people have noted.

On the other hand, there's a reason that "I was only following orders" is not regarded as a legitimate defence in many legal systems, when someone is accused of committing an atrocity, for example.

I don't think you can unequivocally condemn someone who has sworn a legal oath to obey his superior, and is then ordered to commit, or facilitate, or cover up, an atrocity.  It's called being between a rock and a hard place.

Ben Zaiboc




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