Just Following Orders: Difference between revisions

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Of course, this trope is by now usually not played straight but instead ironically, sarcastically or self-hatingly. Still, it's one of the tropes that [[Cyclic Trope|cycles]] between [[Dead Horse Trope]] and [[Undead Horse Trope]], because it always sneaks its way back somewhere, even if you did not mean to invoke it...And even if everyone should know by now that playing this straight (even when fully sincere, which is not always the case) is likely to meet with skepticism and ridicule.

Often also turns up in or close to other guises: [[My Country Right or Wrong]], people claiming they were [[Just Doing My Job]] or "[[I Did What I Had to Do]]". Often prefixed by "[[Nothing Personal]]", usually said by an assassin.

Often also turns up in or close to other guises: [[My Country, Right or Wrong]], people claiming they were [[Just Doing My Job]] or "[[I Did What I Had to Do]]". Often prefixed by "[[Nothing Personal]]", usually said by an assassin.

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{{quote| '''Shu''': You can't do this! This is not right!<br />

'''Nabuca''': Never mind right or wrong! An order is an order! }}

* [[Fullmetal Alchemist]]- Ed tries to invoke this when Riza [[Whole Episode Flashback|tells him]] what happened in Ishval, saying that the [[Our Homunculi Are Different|Homunculi]] were really the ones behind it. Riza replies that, yes, the Homunculi may have started it, but they were the ones who carried it out, and that is something they will never forget

* [[Fullmetal Alchemist]]- Ed tries to invoke this when Riza [[Whole-Episode Flashback|tells him]] what happened in Ishval, saying that the [[Our Homunculi Are Different|Homunculi]] were really the ones behind it. Riza replies that, yes, the Homunculi may have started it, but they were the ones who carried it out, and that is something they will never forget

* ''[[Monster (Anime)|Monster]]'' began with this trope. Tenma was ordered to save a man of importance as he was about to perform surgery on an immigrant and did so, and only later found out that the immigrant had died and left a widow who angrily confronted him about it. Tenma is later presented a similar situation, and opts instead to save the young boy he was about to operate on over another man of importance. [[No Good Deed Goes Unpunished|And oh, what a mistake that was.]]

* In the beginning of the anime version of ''[[Black Cat (Manga)|Black Cat]]'' this is the defense Train gives to justify attempting to murder Eve.

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* In ''[[Tomorrow Never Dies (Film)|Tomorrow Never Dies]]'', Bond has this conversation after subduing an assassin who has just killed Paris Carver;

{{quote| '''Dr. Kaufmann''': Wait! I'm just a [[Punch Clock Villain|professional doing a job!]]<br />

'''Bond''': [[Bond One-Liner|Me too]]. '''[[Boom Headshot|*BANG*]]''' }}

'''Bond''': [[Bond One-Liner|Me too]]. '''[[Boom! Headshot!|*BANG*]]''' }}

** Considering that by all accounts Kaufmann is a sadist who likes whipping out [[Cold-Blooded Torture]] without any justification, this comes off more as a futile attempt to say ''something'' that will spare his pathetic life.

* Used along with a healthy dose of ~Godwin's Law~ in ''[[Clerks]]''. A man berates Dante in front of customers for selling cigarettes, accusing him of being just like the Nazis since he's "only following orders," and tells customers that they should buy Chewlies Gum instead (because selling a dangerous product to a willing consumer is just like gassing innocent people). The man is later revealed as a Chewlies Gum salesman.

* A rather pathetic example appears in ''[[Aliens Vs Predator Requiem]]'' after {{spoiler|the military drop a nuclear bomb on the alien-infested town}}; a soldier says this after a survivor calls him out on it.

** He should just have said: [[~~Its~~ the Only Way To Be Sure]].

** He should just have said: [[It's the Only Way To Be Sure]].

*** At least that would have been a redeemable [[Shout Out]].

*** At least that would have been a redeemable [[Shout-Out]].

* ''[[X Men First Class (Film)|X Men First Class]]'': When Erik is seconds away from {{spoiler|throwing dozens of missiles back at the humans who fired them}}, Charles makes the mistake of using this argument on a ''Holocaust survivor''. He's also unknowingly echoing some Nazi fugitives who tried to use the same excuse when Erik is killing them.

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** He does, however, inadvertently save the Rebellion by not firing immediately after ordered. He says "Stand by" twice before Luke's torpedoes hit the reactor.

** Since the Empire [[Putting On the Reich|resembles Nazi Germany]], sympathetic Imperials wrestle with this trope a lot in the Expanded Universe.

* Non-military variation; ''[[The Grapes of Wrath (Literature)|The Grapes of Wrath]]'' features an interlude with a bulldozer driver who is employed by the banks and landowners to bulldoze repossessed farms for development. One of the dispossessed farm-owners recognises him as the son of an acquaintance and demands to know how he can do this to his own people. The bulldozer driver replies that it's his job; he has a family to think of as well, and if he quit out of moral outrage all that would happen would be that the banks would get someone else to do his job and he and his family would end up starving as well. Sort of a [[Deconstruction]] of [[We ARE Struggling Together]], if you think about it.

* Non-military variation; ''[[The Grapes of Wrath (Literature)|The Grapes of Wrath]]'' features an interlude with a bulldozer driver who is employed by the banks and landowners to bulldoze repossessed farms for development. One of the dispossessed farm-owners recognises him as the son of an acquaintance and demands to know how he can do this to his own people. The bulldozer driver replies that it's his job; he has a family to think of as well, and if he quit out of moral outrage all that would happen would be that the banks would get someone else to do his job and he and his family would end up starving as well. Sort of a [[Deconstruction]] of [[We ARE Struggling Together!]], if you think about it.

* Perhaps the most extreme version imaginable appears in [[Stephen King]]'s ''[[The Dark Tower]]'' (the last book). One of the [[Mooks]] at the [[Evil Overlord]]'s multiverse-breaking facility blames the heroes for attacking him and his fellows, in reply to which she queries how exactly this compares to the moral status of their working to kill absolutely everyone everywhere. His answer? Go on, guess.

* In the third book of [[The Underland Chronicles]], {{spoiler|Doctor Neveeve}} says this line while being arrested.

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*** And then he resurrects it by not protesting a blanket pardon for the regime - in Season 5 there are numerous individuals flying starships who bombed civilian targets and slaughtered refugees.

*** And then it's twisted in a knot in "A Call To Arms": a whole ''crew'' of pardoned war criminals joins Sheridan out of guilt for their actions during the war, and ultimately makes a [[Heroic Sacrifice]].

* Word of advice, do ''not'' invoke this trope around the Doctor from ''[[~~Doctor Who (TV)|~~Doctor Who]]''. It will only make him mad. For example, this exchange from "Bad Wolf":

* Word of advice, do ''not'' invoke this trope around the Doctor from ''[[Doctor Who]]''. It will only make him mad. For example, this exchange from "Bad Wolf":

{{quote| '''Female Programmer''': If you're not holding us hostage, then open the door and let us out. The staff are terrified!<br />

'''The Doctor''': That's the same staff who executes hundreds of contestants every day?<br />

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== Western Animation ==

* After being defeated in a water balloon war, one of Nelson's goons says this in ''[[The Simpsons (Animation)|The Simpsons]]'' episode "Bart the General." Bart spares them and pelts Nelson with the extra balloons instead.

* In one episode of [[Johnny Test]], Johnny, his friends and [[Go Karting With Bowser|enemies]] start to have a drag race but are stopped by the sheriff. The General tries to fast-talk their way through before yelling, "GO around him! the general rules!" The two secret agents call this trope as they do just that.

* In one episode of [[Johnny Test]], Johnny, his friends and [[Go-Karting With Bowser|enemies]] start to have a drag race but are stopped by the sheriff. The General tries to fast-talk their way through before yelling, "GO around him! the general rules!" The two secret agents call this trope as they do just that.

== Real Life ==

* Famously used by Nazi defendants during the post World War 2 Nuremberg Trials. AKA the [~~http://en.~~wikipedia~~.org/wiki/Nuremberg_defense~~ "Nuremberg Defense"].

* Famously used by Nazi defendants during the post World War 2 Nuremberg Trials. AKA the [[wikipedia:Nuremberg defense|"Nuremberg Defense"]].

** At the Nuremberg trials, it was established that "just following orders" is a valid defense, but only below the rank of lieutenant, and only if the orders in question are not clearly illegal. Many times the accused said that they followed orders because it was either work in the camps or the front line.

** The US Military specifically states that following an order you know to be illegal (such as shooting civilians) denies you the use of this defense: you knew it was wrong and failed to refuse the order.

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[[Category:Stock Phrases]]

[[Category:Just Following Orders]]

[[Category:Trope]]