To put this a much simpler way: not every Nazi gets an equal share of blame for every action that was undertaken as part of the Holocaust, but the Nazis are responsible for the Holocaust. There’s just no way around that. The Holocaust was a deliberate and organized set of actions set forth as policy and carried out by the group. To me that means there is a large degree of collective responsibility even if the exact degree of blame varies according to deeds and participation and knowledge. When you deal with actions that are more diffuse in time like the Klan and its murders, that question gets harder to deal with, and when you move on to issues like blaming Muslims for terrorism or blaming Catholics for abuse by priests, unknowing individuals are not responsible.
I think that you CAN steriotype whole groups with the same responsibilty, even if there are individuals who are indifferent to the majority opinion, or totally against it.
During WW2, in the U.K. there were Fascists (Locked up, but still Brits ), Pacifists, lunatics, and god knows what else.
But speaking as a Brit, I don’t think that anyone would blame the Germans for bombing the crap out of the U.K. with the heavy death toll involved.
Its not realistic to expect the Luftwaffe to say “Well we’re not bombing London because theres thirty conscientious objectors there, and its not their fault etc.”
And its always remarkable, when people on the losing side all turn out not to have been responsible for the L.S.s sides actions.
Well obviously it couldn’t be WOMEN !
And CHILDREN have never murdered and tortured people !
(And if they did they were forced into it, and most certainly didn’t take a sadistic pleasure in doing it.
How could they they’re innocent children !)
Or OLD PEOPLE!
Or him over there who was forced into it.
And, and …
And it always turns out that the genocidal mob, who murdered thousands consisted of a man called Nigel and his mate Steve who are both conveniently dead.
And all of the other innocents not only didn’t participate in the massacres (being of course, women and children )but they TRIED TO TALK THE PERPS OUT OF IT !
I so feel for them because they are so unlucky in that they’re always caught in the area in the aftermath.
Yep if you disagree with the majoritys actionsthen you should try to stop it.
Go along with the mob then you’re as guilty as the rest of them.
I doubt that you believe what you said here. If someone who shares a prominent characteristic with you commits an atrocity, do you admit that, because of that shared characteristic, you are at fault? Or do you fide behind a mantra to deflect blame?
I think you have to look at the purpose of a group.
If you joined al Qaeda, I think most people would consider you responsible for the actions of the group. It’s pretty much entirely a terrorist orgnaization.
But if you converted to Islam, it’s different. While some Muslims may be terrorists, terrorism is not the purpose of Islam. You’re not morally responsible for terrorism committed by Muslims just because you’re a Muslim.