3 ms·
> Let's say a given private or public organization makes a bad choice. What is the punishment? The guy who flipped the switch? In the military, orders which te
by lupusreal 2y ago
> Let's say a given private or public organization makes a bad choice. What is the punishment? The guy who flipped the switch?
In the military, orders which tell somebody to break the law aren't legal orders, and soldiers can be punished for following them (importantly, this does not preclude also punishing whoever gave the illegal orders!) Soldiers have a legal obligation to refuse illegal orders. So should bureaucrats.
- aeneasmackenzie 2y agoThis is just a polite fiction and no one is ever punished for giving illegal orders or for following them. Bloody Sunday resulted in absolutely no consequences for 1 Para. Tiger Force had illegal orders as their priority, were investigated and found guilty, and then absolutely nothing happened. The My Lai massacre resulted in a slap on the wrist for one guy.
- lupusreal 2y agoYou're wrong. There are some high profile cases where the system breaks down, but there are thousands times more situations that you've never heard about because everything gets done by the book and it never becomes a public outrage.