In a particular instance, everyone who participated and willed the consequences shares in the responsibility. In the case of something occurring, like a normal retaliation for a nuclear attack, that was foreseen and prepared for, all those who acquiesced had a share in responsibility, and, more vaguely, the United States in its official character.
If a team wins a football game, anyone who contributed to the win has a share in it. If it loses, blame might be more pinpointed. That is an instance, though, were there are varying degrees of contribution to the result, diluting credit and also making it unequal among the parties. On the other hand, in some cases we consider accomplices equally guilty because the occurrence was equally contingent on their actions, that is, if any one had pulled out, the dire thing would not have occurred, and therefore "each pulled the trigger", as it were....... |
