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About this quote

What does it mean?
The author claims he was merely an innocent messenger transmitting orders without understanding their content.
In plain terms
He says he was just a delivery boy passing on orders he did not read.
What can you take from it?
Claiming ignorance of orders is a common defense in hierarchical systems.

Where it applies

  • legal defense
  • historical inquiry
  • moral questioning

Putting it to work

  • evaluating command responsibility
  • assessing culpability

Questions to consider

  • Is transmitting orders without reading them truly innocent?
  • Where does responsibility lie in a chain of command?

Another view

The claim of not reading orders is historically debated and often viewed as a defense tactic.

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