> hold generals and admirals personally accountable
What is the appropriate action to take for a general who gets an order like "sink that ship now" from the commander in chief? What exactly is the right thing to do, and are there examples of people who did the right thing in that situation?
I suppose the general should say "sinking that ship in the way this order says would be a war crime, so I'm not going to do it." If a general says that, then what happens next?
@RichardWrightFan @eliasr @peter
exactly this
@eliasr @peter
The Geneva Conventions make it quite clear that the person following orders to commit a war crime, and the person giving the order are both liable. So the appropriate action would be to refuse it as an illegal order.
What happens next depends on whether the rule of law still applies in that country...
@eliasr @peter
The problem is that through firings, forced "voluntary" retirements, and sidelining, Trump and Hegseth have mostly purged the senior ranks of those who would push back. But it's not unheard of for men/women of honor to do the right thing, even if it means risking punishment... or death👇🏿
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-wiener-my-lai-hugh-thompson-20180316-story.html