March 13, 2024 (EIRNS)—Independent candidate for U.S. Senate in New York Diane Sare opened the March 1 symposium with a strategic briefing, beginning with the “extreme act of protest” by Airman Aaron Bushnell. In Gaza City, over 100 Palestinians were killed and nearly 800 injured in the so-called “flour massacre.” The Russians intercepted a top-level German military discussion about assisting Ukraine to blow up the Kerch Bridge and other Russian targets. George Galloway won a by-election in Britain, campaigning against genocide, and in Michigan, 101,000 voters voted “uncommitted” to protest the outrageous Middle East policy of Biden. All these events highlight the extraordinary crisis the world faces.
Diane’s guest was Joseph D’Urso, a retired attorney and Sare for Senate activist, who gave an excellent overview of the Nuremberg Trials at the end of World War II. Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill debated how to deal with individuals who had been directly involved in war crimes. Nineteen Nazi leaders were found guilty as well as four top Nazi organizations. The fundamental crime charged was “crimes against peace.” Among the leading jurists who helped to shape the trials were Aron Trainin, a Soviet legal scholar, and Raphael Lemkin, a Polish jurist who coined the term “genocide.” Robert Jackson, a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, was the lead U.S. prosecutor. They had to balance the need for justice and accountability, while not imposing collective guilt on all Germans. D’Urso referenced a 1985 Soviet war film called “Come and See” to understand the brutality of the Nazi “Lebensraum” plan. Conspiracy, waging a war against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity were the four charges tried.
The Genocide Convention of 1948 was held to focus attention on the issue of genocide as a crime. The details of what constituted genocide are almost identical to what the International Court of Justice has charged Israel with committing crimes against the residents of Gaza.
Sare raised the issue of denazification which is what the Russians have demanded in Ukraine. The fascist C-14 group in Ukraine claimed they brought 8% of the people to the Maidan in 2014 which shaped the government that seized took power after the coup. How do you denazify a population? Sare said that in the U.S., the most hideous atrocities are condoned. Unlike in past years, our media and culture have become very sick and promote a sadistic pleasure in doing harm to others. D’Urso pointed out that no one’s hands were clean going into the trials. The U.S. had destroyed Dresden and used the atomic bomb on Japan, but Judge Jackson wanted to draw lessons from the trials for the future.
Sare concluded the discussion by underscoring the moral wounds that are inflicted on the American people, today, when we accept the immoral actions of our government.
She reminded the audience: “We begin petitioning on April 16th and we need funds as well as petitioners!”
