If "just following orders" wasn't already completely null and void, i.e. if it was possibly to come up with an even worse defense, "just following incentives" would be that defense.
And "politicians" didn't create that mess either, corrupt politicians who acted on behalf of their donors, rather on behalf of the people they represent, did that. It's not mainly politicians profiting off this after all, some of them kinda just read from the teleprompter. Does that make them blameless? Of course not. Every single person in the chain, be it a chain of command or incentives, is responsible for not refusing to participate.
And "politicians" didn't create that mess either, corrupt politicians who acted on behalf of their donors, rather on behalf of the people they represent, did that. It's not mainly politicians profiting off this after all, some of them kinda just read from the teleprompter. Does that make them blameless? Of course not. Every single person in the chain, be it a chain of command or incentives, is responsible for not refusing to participate.