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The Clouded Legacy: Top 5 Controversial US Presidents and Allegations of War Crimes

American history brims with presidents who have been hailed for their leadership during trying times, but not many presidential actions have stood the test of moral scrutiny. Among these “leaders” there are those whose decisions have triggered debates on war crimes and crimes against humanity. Their legacies, draped in controversy, warrant a closer examination through the lens of international standards such as the Nuremberg Principles. Here is an exploration of five US presidents whose actions have sparked such discussions.

1. Andrew Jackson and the Trail of Tears

The forced relocation and movement known as the Trail of Tears, overseen by President Andrew Jackson, led to the suffering and death of thousands of Native Americans. The Indian Removal Act of 1830, which Jackson signed into law, facilitated this monstrous event—sealing a fate considered by many scholars as genocidal. The harsh conditions and disregard for Native American lives tie directly into conversations about crimes against humanity. But, still to this day, this dude is glorified on our money!

Just because Jackson was agains a central bank, doesn’t mean this act of of abominable genocide doesn’t make his a bad guy.

2. Harry S. (the Buck Stops Here) Truman and the Atomic Bombs

The grim episodes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain etched in human history where President Harry S. Truman authorized the only use of nuclear weapons in warfare. The devastating civilian toll amounted to over a hundred thousand innocent lives lost instantaneously with countless others affected through generations. The act raises profound ethical questions regarding the indiscriminate destruction and the definitions of war crimes. There is much speculation in the historical record that even though the Japanese Emperor was ready to surrender before the bombs were dropped, Truman and his gang of thugs, decided to drop them anyway to be a warning to Stalin and the USSR. What a mega-monster.

In addition to the very obvious nuclear crimes against humanity, the firebombing of Tokyo was brutal and unnecessary.

On the night of 9/10 March 1945, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) conducted a devastating firebombing raid on Tokyo, the Japanese capital city. This attack was code-named Operation Meetinghouse by the USAAF and is known as the Great Tokyo Air Raid in Japan.^[1] Bombs dropped from 279 Boeing B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers burned out much of eastern Tokyo. More than 90,000 and possibly over 100,000 Japanese people were killed, mostly civilians, and one million were left homeless, making it the most destructive single air attack in human history. The Japanese air and civil defenses proved largely inadequate; 14 American aircraft and 96 airmen were lost. FROM WIKIPEDIA

I have been twice to Japan and spoken to survivors of all of these atrocities and it made me loathe the U.S. war machine even more.

“If We Had Lost The War, We All Would Have Been Prosecuted As War Criminals” General Curtis LeMay on the U.S. horrors in Japan.

3. Lyndon B. Johnson and the Vietnam War

The Vietnam War escalated under President Lyndon B. Johnson's administration. Accounts of massacres, such as the My Lai Massacre, where hundreds of unarmed civilians were killed by U.S. soldiers, question the adherence to the laws of war. Critics credibly argue that the excessive force and civilian casualties warrant the tag of war crimes.

The entire Vietnam debacle was a crime against humanity, and decades later, the people of Vietnam are still suffering from Agent Orange exposure and unexploded landmines. Their economy has barely recovered and the disgust I feel for Johnson and this war cannot be overstated.

“Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?”

4. Richard Nixon and the Secret Bombing of Cambodia

President Richard Nixon, although famously implicated in the Watergate scandal, also oversaw the secret bombing campaign in Cambodia during the Vietnam War. The bombings led to the loss of thousands of civilian lives and were conducted without congressional approval, putting them under the scrutiny of war crimes considerations due to the secrecy and disregard for non-combatant casualties: which is the real reason Nixon should have been impeached and removed from office.

5. George W(ar criminal). Bush and the Iraq War

Of course, you know that I had to include Genocide George in this listicle.

(In the above photo of the flag draped coffins, there’s been credible information that my son Casey was one of the dead soldiers being “delivered” to their grieving families. Whether he was, or not, we received his shell for burial, but many innocent citizens of Iraq were buried in the rubble of Imperial hubris).

The contentious invasion of Iraq in 2003, initiated by President George W. Bush, was based on the unfounded allegations of weapons of mass destruction and a connection with Saddam Hussein to 9/11. The war resulted in a high number of civilian deaths and destabilized an entire region. Detractors cite it as a potential war crime, pointing to the torture revelations in Abu Ghraib and the lack of solid justification for the invasion.

Even if there were “solid justification,” for any of the above crimes against humanity, there should be no quarter given for the deliberate targeting and slaughtering of civilians. These crimes should be thoroughly prosecuted under international law for justice and war crime prevention in the future.

Contemplating Justice and Morality

The above presidents, though undeservedly exalted for various achievements, stand in the shadow of acts that—if judged by the standards set during the Nuremberg Trials or by common human decency—might have led to indictments for war crimes or crimes against humanity. The notion that leaders of powerful nations should be exempt from international law contravenes the very principles of justice and equality before the law.

We must wonder, can a society truly progress without holding its highest leaders accountable for their choices, especially when they lead to large-scale human suffering? History often serves as judge, jury, and, occasionally, executioner of legacies. However, as we look back on these controversial figures, it is essential to ponder the value of legal and moral accountability, not just to scrutinize the past, but to chart a more just and humane course for the future.

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Of course, volumes could be written about the crimes emanating our of the Offal Office and my list will anger some because they revered one/all of the Garbage People on the list OR this list does not include their favorite war criminal president.

I’m not even giving dishonorable mention to ANY of the other war criminals, because to one extent, or another, they all were/are.

Let the games begin!

AND HERE IS THE CURRENT EMBARRASSING “LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD” YESTERDAY (WITH JORDAN’S KING ABDULLAH) WHO GOT 81 MILLION VOTES, IF YOU BELIEVE THAT SHIT!

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