[CoastalCoder]

If I may add my two cents: I disagree that supporting $BADGUY soldiers is always bad.

It's conceivable that in some situations, it seems likely to result in the less-evil outcome.

Case in point, suppose you had a neo-nazi unit offering to take out a Russian artillery battery that was shelling civilians. Do you refuse to truck them to that vicinity because you find them repugnant?

Life is full of hard choices; doubly so in war.

[lowkey]

Would it change anything in your eyes to know that the Azov Batallion has been shelling civilian Russian-speaking Ukrainians in the Donbas region since 2014?

I am firmly of the position that no Nazi is a good Nazi. I am surprised to find myself in the minority here but based on the downvotes it is clear that my position is not a popular one.

[CoastalCoder]

> Would it change anything in your eyes ...

Not really. The example I chose was already hypothetical, and not necessarily apropos to the current situation in Ukraine. The additional context you provided doesn't change my basic point that there's a calculation to be made.

> I am firmly of the position that no Nazi is a good Nazi.

I think we may be discussing two different things. I wasn't talking about the moral standing of individual Nazis. I was talking about the moral calculation of temporarily collaborating with them to possibly achieve a better outcome than not collaborating with them.

Extending the earlier example, suppose there's just one neo-nazi, who's offering to go on a suicide mission that will take out 1000 Russian artillery batteries, saving 500,000 Ukranians. And nobody but you would know, so the neo-nazi's actions couldn't even potentially inspire others.

Would you entertain the possibility that that is a good trade-off? If yes, then you might be agreeing that there's a calculation to be performed. If no, then I'd wonder why you'd find it preferable to let 500,000 Ukranians die. (I'm not calling you a moral monster. I'm just trying to lay things out that shows there's an actual dilemma.)

[lowkey]

It seems you had to stretch the details of your example well beyond the range of possibility in order to make your case.

Yes, I would would most certainly agree to support such an individual in the implausible scenario you just described.

However under those circumstances I would argue that the soldier is no longer a Nazi, but in fact he is now a Nazi defector - so not the same thing.

I am very glad to see how difficult it still is for folks on HN to support Nazis, even when they fight for Ukraine against the Russians.

I don’t support Nazis - never have - not even Ukrainian Nazis. I think it is hypocritical to do so and from your comment neither do you I believe.