Ira Levin The Boys Analysis

In Ira Levin’s The Boys from Brazil, Nazi war criminals who have escaped justice are the cause of more death and destruction in world 30 years after the end of World War II. This is just one of many possible scenarios of what could happen if war criminals were not punished for their crimes. Men capable of such evil have no right to be loose in the world. War crimes have been a problem in the world as long as war itself, despite the term not being coined until the 20th century. There are various types of war crimes, some more severe than others. The severity of the crime committed should also determine the severity of the punishment. Those who deliberately ignore the justice system to the extreme of committing war crimes should be held to the
The historical precedent for punishing war crimes ranges from no punishment at all to execution. In recent times humanity has become more unforgiving of war crimes, even those committed by people claiming to have just been following orders. By claiming they or their family would come to harm if they had not complied with orders to commit war crimes, many of those responsible have made themselves look like victims and escaped punishment. The Nuremberg Trials was where the Nazi leadership was sentenced to various punishments for their crimes. Albert Einstein stated “The Nuremberg Trial of the German war criminals was tacitly based on the recognition of the principal: criminal actions cannot be excused if committed on government orders (Einstein 61).” Einstein is widely acknowledged as one of the smartest individuals to ever live, and he made this statement to ensure that people do not simply let war crimes slide because they were only following orders. If those who claim to have only been following orders had taken a stand against their commanders then many of the people who suffered because of them may not have had