That's kind of a ridiculous quote. Aren't most people "just doing their jobs" every day?

That's like saying "The fall of moral civilization has always been brought about by those who "eat food on a regular basis"".

What an interesting misinterpretation.

Nobody would use "I was just eating food on a regular basis" as a defense against blame for misdeeds, which the GP's quote (referencing the Nuremberg defense and similar things events of disavowing blame for evil acts) would be commenting upon.

The interesting misinterpretation is in the original use of the quote in this thread - it cannot be used to assume anything in general about people who are just doing their jobs. Michtbaum may possibly be able to make the claim that these particular job-doers are a threat to civilization, but not by offering up this quote.

thats actually an interesting examination of the banality of evil in our everyday lives.

How much harm do we cause the enviroment by eating the food we eat on a regular basis?

How many people are killed and lives and futures destroyed by people that ard perfectly justified in doing their jobs?

Evil isn't just for comic book super villians, nor does it require any sort of ill intent at all. Look around at your life, and the choices you and others make and ask (honestly) "who is being hurt", the answers can be suprising and unnerveing.

Stop and think though... It actually isn't that ridiculous. Do you not think we (humans) are contributing to the fall of moral civilization? Look around us.

edit: clarity

Can someone please explain to me what is wrong with the CBP's job? The Nuremberg defense isn't valid, yeah, but what makes that situation apply to folks running defense on the border. Last time I checked we weren't gassing illegal immigrants.

It's a stretch:

> Smugglers want to get drugs to the lucrative American market. > Border Patrol are told to stop them cause drugs are bad. >Politicians enact more border patrol regulations to counteract our strict drug policy.

I'm inferring that OP wants border patrol to be political activists and fight for better drug laws instead of just "doing their jobs".

I guess, but CBP does more than just deal with just the smuggling of drugs so it's hardly clear that's the point.

"Those who wish to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."

- Thomas Paine

The people butchering people and leave them in 55 gallon drums are also "just doing their jobs".

But those "jobs" aren't backed by a legal framework, in fact, even in their own country it's considered grotesque, even in the same illegal outfits it's known as the dirty work.