Good heavens. Testing the edges is what philosophical analysis is all about.
And the Iran scenario isn’t even an extreme scenario but very valid. Obama could order us to use force in Iran, Yemen, Pakistan, Syria, wherever.... at any time, under the AUOF. And it wouldn’t have to be pre-announced in a presser either. This is a very real question.
I’m sorry, but if hypotheticals to root out the logic being applied is more than this place can handle then I really am in the wrong place.
I’ve spoken with enough military people to know that scenarios such as these are discussed. The German military just followed orders. What else could they do, if there was a law allowing Jews to be exterminated, or if the courts wouldn’t hear any cases or would actually confirm the lawfulness of the extermination orders?
It had to have been a gut-wrenching time. We’ve had the luxury of not having those gut-wrenching decisions to make, but that could change at a moment’s notice. The question has been posed in various places regarding what happens when the rubber hits the road - if and when Obama declares martial law and orders troops to use harsh force on Obama dissenters. What will these guys do? You can’t tell me that the question isn’t on the minds of a substantial number of our troops.
Censoring the talk about the tough issues doesn’t make them go away. It just means we’re less prepared if and when they reach critical mass where they can’t be ignored - at which point it’s too late to think because it’s time to act.
I post this to inform that sadly, no it was not so for most. It was easy. Following brutal orders mindlessly is easy. History shows that again and again.
America is a most fortunate place, it was founded by those, who while committed to the Law (of Nature's God) and an orderly moral society, were of a nature where they strongly refused to mindlessly follow orders.