French General Philippe Pétain went from WWI hero to WWII traitor. He became an agent of the Nazis and even helped round up Jews for trips to concentration camps. Did Pétain suddenly become diabolically evil? Such traitors are devoid of a conscience. But what of men who have a conscience but ignore it while twisting and contorting their beliefs to such a degree that they end up rationalizing that treasonous behavior is excused or diminished with patriotic sentiment.

That appears to have been what happened to Pétain. After having all of his traitorous acts enumerated before him, Pétain’s defense was…

“…that while he outwardly collaborated with the Germans, he had wanted in his heart to help the allies.”

At the end of the video below, Pétain’s France was diagnosed with “a way of thinking that was indifferent to defeat”.

There are no doubt several political leaders in the U.S. today that have deluded themselves with the same mentality: