The Death Penalty for Adolf Hitler

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

My typical answer would be that the death penalty is wrong and that there are no legitimate exceptions, but this would actually be one. And it's not quite comparable to a normal civilian judicial system.

Basically this

[Supersonic]

No. I'm against the death penalty in all instances.

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

Yes (R/sane)

[Storebought]

Yes, for utilitarian purposes of keeping Hitler from reorganizing the Nazi movement from his jail cell (how? through sympathetic prison guards and doctors), or re-writing history, just like he did the last time. There is also the aesthetic reason of not allowing his prison from becoming a pilgrimage site, but that is secondary.

[Goldwater]

Yes (sane).

[Niemeyerite]

My typical answer would be that the death penalty is wrong and that there are no legitimate exceptions, but this would actually be one. And it's not quite comparable to a normal civilian judicial system.

Basically this

That's the way I see it. I'm strongly against death penalty, but I'd enjoy watching Hitler die.

[Icehand Gino]

It may seem hypocritical, cynical and maybe dangerous, but I find more preferable to kill someone like Hitler without any kind of trial.

By avoiding a trial, official use of death penalty is avoided and Hitler cannot use the trial as a political tribune.

[eric82oslo]

If death penalty I would only support gas chamber. And prior starvation.

[DC Al Fine]

Yes with the following two caveats:

1) As Robert Taft noted, trying people for ex post facto laws, is victor's justice and isn't good for rule of law. Hitler was a terrible terrible person, so I'm sure there is some Nazi or Weimar era law you can try him for.

2) The theatrical punishments are too much show and have the potential for making post WW2 Germany think of the West like post WW1 Germany did. Just hang him somewhere with few witnesses.

[7,052,770]

Yes (normal).

[Comrade Funk]

Kill the er.

[bedstuy]

Yes with the following two caveats:

1) As Robert Taft noted, trying people for ex post facto laws, is victor's justice and isn't good for rule of law. Hitler was a terrible terrible person, so I'm sure there is some Nazi or Weimar era law you can try him for.

2) The theatrical punishments are too much show and have the potential for making post WW2 Germany think of the West like post WW1 Germany did. Just hang him somewhere with few witnesses.

There are clearly background principles of international customary law that prohibit mass genocide, slavery, bombing of civilian targets, unprovoked invasions, etc, that existed in 1939.  It's a little bit ridiculous to think that international war crimes can only be punished if they are criminalized by the country which committed them.

[Hatman 🍁]

Normally I oppose the death penalty, but when it comes to ruthless dictators, I personally wouldn't outright oppose their executions. However, I wouldn't oppose their being saved. I suppose, it's up to the victims (the group of people he persecuted) to decide.

[H. Ross Peron]

Yes (sane).

This. I oppose the death penalty in most cases for practical reasons. However in this case, guilt is certain.

[Consciously Unconscious]

Yes, without hesitation. 

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

No, but if Hitler hadn't committed suicide and was captured alive instead, he probably would've been shot at the scene.  I could be completely wrong, but that's probably what would've happened.  In my view, Hitler's very existence posed a threat to others and that would be enough to justify killing him without trial.

[Incipimus iterum]

Yes

[Vosem]

Конечно

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I would rather he'd been lynched, frankly.

[Redalgo]

No, but if Hitler hadn't committed suicide and was captured alive instead, he probably would've been shot at the scene.

Maybe, but Stalin wanted him alive and any soldiers present at such a shooting after capture would likely have been rounded up and executed for deviating from his orders. Not that being sent to Moscow would be a better fate, obviously. Suicide really was the most reasonable choice available. As awful as it sounds, suicide would probably have been the best option for most state employees during the Battle of Berlin regardless of their work relationships with the Nazis. D: