Korematsu. Too Early for the Court of History

• Authors: Waldemar Hoff

Title variants

PL

Korematsu. Za wcześnie na sąd historii

Abstracts

PL

W 1942 r. amerykańskie władze wojskowe internowały przeszło 120 tys. osób pochodzenia japońskiego w obawie przed sabotażem na rzecz Japonii. W historycznym wyroku sąd uwolnił od zarzutów Freda Korematsu, lecz podtrzymał konstytucyjność ustawodawstwa prowadzącego do internowania. Później okazało się, że nie było dowodów na udział internowanych w formowaniu piątej kolumny. Decyzja ta była krytykowana jako niekonstytucyjna i motywowana rasizmem. Zdaniem sędziów, którzy zgłosili zdanie odrębne oraz komentatorów stanowisko sądu zostało potępione przez sąd historii. Autor twierdzi, że pierwotna decyzja SN była uzasadniona okolicznościami wojny, w tym stanem niepewności, który ze sobą niosła. Dopóki nie wyposażymy władz w dar jasnowidzenia, musimy uznać ich prawo do działania w czasie zagrożenia, nawet z marginesem błędu. Debata towarzysząca temu wyrokowi zignorowała doświadczenia obu wojen światowych, w których niemiecka piąta kolumna była aktywna i efektywna. Artykuł przedstawia, nieznaną w piśmiennictwie zachodnim, opowieść naocznego świadka niemieckiego sabotażu w czasie pierwszej wojny światowej. Współczesna historia potwierdza ponadczasowość zjawiska piątej kolumny. Strach, uzasadniony lub nie, przed technikami wojny hybrydowej doprowadził do odradzania się ustawodawstwa skierowanego przeciw piątym kolumnom w XXI w., choć środki ich zwalczania są inne. Jest zbyt wcześnie na autorytatywne wypowiedzi sędziów i akademików w imieniu „sądu historii”, ponieważ do końca historii jeszcze daleko.

EN

In 1942 the American military authorities interned over 120 thousand persons of Japanese ancestry in fear of sabotage on behalf of Japan. In a landmark 1944 case the Supreme Court rehabilitated Fred Korematsu but upheld constitutionality of the wartime laws leading to the internment. As transpired later, there was no evidence of the Japanese-Americans’ forming a fifth-column. The court decision was criticized as unconstitutional and driven by racism. In view of the dissenting judges and commentators it was condemned by the court of history. This article claims that the original decision was justified by the circumstances of the war, including the uncertainties it brought with it. Unless we equip the government with the power of clairvoyance, it has to be able to act, and even err, in emergency. The debate around Korematsu ignored the previous experience of both World Wars in which German fifth columns were active and effective. One such eyewitness account, not known in Western literature, is presented in the article. Modern his-tory confirms that the fifth column as such is a timeless phenomenon. The fear of hybrid wars techniques, justified or not, has led to the reemergence of the fifth column legislation in XXI century, although the range legal instruments intended to contain it is different. It is too early for judges and scholars to speak authorita-tively on behalf of the court of history, for history is still in the making.

Keywords

EN

Korematsu; fifth column; sabotage; court of history; minorities; government powers; hybrid war

PL

Korematsu; piąta kolumna; sabotaż; sąd historii; mniejszości; kompetencje rządu; wojna hybrydowa

• Publisher: Akademia Leona Koźmińskiego
• Journal: Krytyka Prawa. Niezależne studia nad prawem
• Year: 2019
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 83-100

Dates

published

2019

Contributors

author

Waldemar Hoff

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Identifiers

DOI

10.7206/kp.2080-1084.343

Biblioteka Nauki

2082843