Quote:
Originally Posted by Parihaka
To me it depends on the extent. What of those Germans who assisted Jews and hid them and helped them flee Nazi control? At what point does humanity overwhelm Nationalism, or is Nationalism Uber Alles?
This particular chap may have seen and heard of things so horrific that getting his family away from it is more important than his belief in his country.
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He is a traitor to his country, because he deserted and now will make damage to Iran's national security. That is fully independent of the fact that one might be pro-Islamic regime or pro-Shah regime. Had he took his troops and attempted a coup d'etat, I would have respected him. But selling critical information to West (the enemy) is the work of coward and not a patriot. The samegoes for General Oveissi of the Shah regime, who instead of helping the shah's last Imperial government, he fled to Paris. He is a traitor also.
As far as your NSDAP analogy goes, I will say that the work of Beck, Count von Stauffenberg and Canaris deserves applause and they are no traitors. Why? because they did not fled Germany to Great Britian to sell its secret, rather that they stayed in their position, through light and dark, and helped to overthrow Hitler, allbeit failed. There is difference between patriot that tries an unconsititutional act for the better service of the Fatherland, then a coward who flees his Fatherland at the time of crisis to sell information.
Ofcourse, that is assuming he actually defected. He could have been abducted or anything else.