17 May '07 11:32>
Originally posted by whodeyBut right and wrong aren't created by general consensus. Yes, history books are written by the winners. In the US, had the revolutionary war turned out differently, Washington et al would be taught as being traitors rather than heroes. But whether or not slavery is wrong has nothing to do popular opinion. Whether it is right to lock entire groups in camps and commit genocide or simply leave them there for the duration of a war because of their ancestry is wrong, no matter what a group decides.
I am glad you brought up the Nazi regime. It reminds me of a quote from Herman Georring right before he was hanged for his war crimes. He said something to the effect that the loser in a conflict is ALWAYS vanquished in every way and the winner is ALWAYS victorious. In other words, had Hitler won the war they probably would have simply changed roles. In m ...[text shortened]... h such speculations. Perhaps we see that might makes right on the chess board by no where else.
Currently there are a majority of people in one location who believe that it is OK to hold people without trial or access to lawyers for many years and torture them into confessing. If this group has the power does that make their actions and beliefs right? There are exponentially larger numbers of people who disagree with the premise but don't have the power at the moment to end it, or haven't tried. Are they wrong in their beliefs of what's ethical and what isn't?