Sunday, May 14, 2017

Trump demands loyalty

The story of the Trump sacking of Comey continues to run and run.

It seems at a dinner in January President Trump asked FBI director James Comey if he would pledge his loyalty to him.

Comey refused and explained his loyalty was to the United States constitution.

Early in his rule of terror Hitler made a significant change concerning the German Army. Instead of new recruits swearing an oath to Germany or to the German leader, they would now swear an oath to the personal figure of Adolf Hitler.

Before Hitler took office, German soldiers swore an oath to the German constitution and president.

The Hitler oath:
"I swear to God this sacred oath that to the Leader of the German Emprire the and people, Adolf Hitler, supreme commander of the armed forces, I shall render unconditional obedience and that as a brave soldier I shall at all times be prepared to give my life for this oath."

Among those who refused to take the Hitler oath were:

  • Karl Barth (Swiss theologian); Consequences: loss of professorship
  • Martin Gauger (probationary judge as a state prosecutor in Wuppertal); Consequences: forced retirement of his position as a state prosecutor
  • Franz Jägerstätter (Austrian conscientious objector); Consequences: execution in 1943; beatified in 2007
  • Josef Mayr-Nusser (from Bozen), after call-up for duty in the Waffen-SS; Consequences: Death penalty, died on the way Dachau
  • Joseph Ruf (Brother Maurus, a religious brother) Consequences: Death penalty
  • Franz Reinisch (A Pallotine priest) after call-up for duty in the Wehrmacht; Consequences: execution by beheading in 1942.

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