[Praxius]

Quote by: StrongHeartsWin So, would Volkswagon be less able to put forth fait accompli as a defense in avoiding payment to survivors, be they direct or 2nd or 3rd generation?

Slave labour is slave labour, no matter what date it is, or what you're making them do..... just because VW needed them based on economic survival, is not an excuse...... if they couldn't survive on their own without it, then they shouldn't have been in business to begin with (ie: they didn't know how to run a proper business) Anybody living afterwards who was slaved and demanded comp. then they should get it...... if it's their family or decendants going for it..... they can suck a lemon.

Sub question: Are consumers, if aware of Volkswagon's survival due to the economic gain from slave labor, but still purchase Volkswagon products, are they rewarding past deeds by doing so, or just rewarding the Volkswagon company of today?

I never knew of their past history of slave labour, nor does it affect my judgement on them now. If I buy one of their vehicles, I am rewarding them on the decent vehicle I am about to recieve, nothing more.

2. Does fait accompli apply to human testing? Many Jews and prisoners of war were forced to undergo tests in order to find rapid warming procedures for hypothermia. Some think that knowledge is useful for mankind now, but should that knowledge gain from such tests stay sealed? Or, should fait accompli be applied and let that out to the world to benefit from despite the grotesque nature of the testing that was done? The same can be said with Japanese, whose surgeons wanted to learn quick bullet extractions from battlefield injuries, purposely shooting "test subjects" at close range in different body parts to practice. Should those files be opened for today`s benefit?

What is done is done. You have no future if you hang onto the past.... if you hang onto the past, then you will never learn from your past.

There are countless situations all over the planet of such things being done to people..... how do you propose we go about making sure everyone and their decendants recieve all the justice they deserve? Life is not fair..... Unless the person who was the victim is still alive today to seek justice on their own behalf, the only thing one can do is learn from one's and other's mistakes.

There was a lot of progress in technology and development in WWII by all sides of the globe, and most of that was on the backs of millions of people who had no say in things..... should we just abandon our current way of life, so we can make sure those who suffered in the past, can rest in peace?

One can only learn from the past and try to avoid repeating history.

3. Surely some back roads in the south, probably once long winding "driveways" leading to plantation mansions, were at one time graveled over with rocks by forced labor, and now since those may have become part of the public infrastructure, are the use of those roads for pleasure or economic purposes merely protected by fait accompli?

Yup.... it's done... how far back do we need to go in time to make sure everything is politically correct, or justice is served for all? Witch burnings, the crusades, WWI, WWII, everything.....

I think the answer to #3 is rather simple, but #1, and more particularly #2 seem to be a little more complex. But, in the end, do they all lead to fait accompli, allowing us to benefit now from them?

Yup. Once again, you can only learn from past mistakes and try and avoid them in the future. You and I didn't cause what happened in the past, so we shouldn't have to pay for someone else's mistakes/loses/benifits.

Sounds harsh, but it is the most simple solution.