tom (03/30/83)
Nearly all of us are guilty: I. Article 6 of the Constitution: This constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, any thing in the constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding. II. The United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted Resolution 1(95) on Dec. 11, 1946, affirming the "principles of international law recognized by the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal and the Judgement of the Tribunal." III. Nuremberg Principle 2: The fact that domestic law does not punish an act which is an international crime does not free the perpetrator of such crime from responsibility under international law. IV. Nuremberg Principle 6: The crimes hereafter set out are punishable as crimes under international law: a. Crimes against Peace: (1) Planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression, or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements or assurances; (2) Participation in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment of any of the acts mentioned under (1). b. War Crimes: namely, violations of the laws or customs of war. Such violations shall include, but not be limited to, murder, ill-treatment or deportation to salve labour or for any other purpose of civilian population of or in occupied territory, murder or ill-treatment of prisoners of war or persons on the seas, killing of hostages, plunder of public or private property, wanton destruction of cities, towns or villages, or devastation not justified by military necessity. c. Crimes against Humanity: namely, murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation and other inhuman acts done against a civilian population, or persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds, when such acts are done or such persecutions are carried on in execution of or in connection with any crime against peace or any war crime. V. Nuremberg Principle 7: Complicity in the commission of a crime against peace, a war crime or a crime against humanity, as set forth in Principle VI, is a crime under international law. VI. Nuclear bombs are designed to wantonly destroy cities and to exterminate civilian populations. VII. Contributing money is complicity. VIII. Paying taxes is contributing money.
soreff (04/01/83)
Obviously the Nuremberg principles #6 and #7 must fall into the category of law known as "dead letter laws", given how effectively they have restrained the actions of the USSR and USA. Come to think of it, international law didn't even restrain Argentina in the Falklands. I think a certain amount of cynicism about the efficacy of international law is warranted. -Jeffrey Soreff (hplabs!hplabsb!soreff) P.S. This is, of course, my personal view and in no way reflects Hewlett-Packard's policies, views etc.
kar (04/02/83)
About the note that, in effect, said that paying taxes was a crime under inter- national law and customs of war: I don't want to refute your logic, but would like to know when you plan to stop paying your taxes. The trial ought to be interesting. (PS: What a quaint phrase, "customs of war" )
dee (04/03/83)
Since it is my understanding that the payment of taxes is under duress (threat of punishment) the original logic fails completely. Donald Eastlake (dee@cca-unix, decvax!cca!dee)