@mackensie: Those people were academics that were Nazis in the sense that the government for which they worked was a Nazi government. In any event, I would hope that no one is suggesting that we breed Nazis in the hope that we get a few scientists out of it.
@mackensie: I don't consider Von Braun a Nazi: "When asked if von Braun could have protested against the brutal treatment of the slave laborers, von Braun team member Konrad Dannenberg told The Huntsville Times, "If he had done it, in my opinion, he would have been shot on the spot."" Considering the Nazi track record, I am inclined to agree.
@ChillbearLatrigue: Maybe he wasn't a model Nazi like Himmler, Goebbels or Hitler but he collaborated at the very least. No one forced him to join the Waffen-SS either. He did it of his own free will, and early on, in 1933. Ask yourself whether you would have developed deadly and frightening new weapons for an evil regime using slave labor? Do you really think that, "I was really, really obsessed with rockets" would be an acceptable justification for your actions?
@i'm a bottle: I really find all things Nazi distasteful as I am sure everyone else here does, but a lot of the Germans of that era claim that they were forced to join various factions of the Nazi Party to avoid persecution. However, you're right. In the end, the only morally correct thing to do would be to refuse service even if it meant joining the unfortunate masses in the concentration camps, but not everyone has the courage or commitment to do that. So, let me concede this: You and mackensie are correct that Von Braun was a Nazi.
Rockets are too phallic for me. I hope that answers your question.
@mackensie: "We knew that we had created a new means of warfare, and the question as to what nation, to what victorious nation we were willing to entrust this brainchild of ours was a moral decision more than anything else. We wanted to see the world spared another conflict such as Germany had just been through, and we felt that only by surrendering such a weapon to people who are guided by the Bible could such an assurance to the world be best secured."
Thanks for the link. I appreciate it. WWII brought brilliance to the United States, a refuge. I guess when I think of a war criminal, I think of someone who worked at a camp or loaded a train or was first-person involved in some way.
The article seems to imply that he came here and became a loyal tool.
@ChillbearLatrigue, Pinekatz, mackensie: A man who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge, comes to regret it, but finds redemption because his quest to bring humanity further is inherently good. Hmmm, sounds familiar.
@i'm a bottle: I know. I wish it was simple. I agree completely, entirely.
Life seems to be such a bloody filthy mess, one generation after the next. No one learns. A 33-y/o American with every opportunity to succeed becomes a KKK member. 60 years ago, a scientist weighs his options and jumps teams.
Naw, that's not Danny. If it were, he'd be wearing a standard T instead of a Rheabeater with "World's Cutest Nazi" on it in bright, happy '80s-sitcom-logo letters.
Mayer needed to look at Wikipedia before he helped maked a li'l Jewish baby. It's Brazil where you don't get extradited if you knock up one of their citizens (under what Brits still call the Ronnie Biggs law).
On the bright side, if his kid grows up, goes to the States and gets mixed up in neo-Nazi stuff - and quite a few of those types have proven to be half-Jewish over the years - he or she could always go back to Israel and avoid extradition under the Law of Return.
The latest on Mayon: he was indeed shipped back to the US today, accompanied by marshalls, but vowing to return. He denies membership in the KKK or being a Nazi, says he does not hate Jews or blacks and that he "loves this country and wants to return". Meanwhile his distraught friends are trying to come to terms with his true identity. The girlfriend told local media that she "loves him" and wants to stay in touch. Another friend said he believes Mayon "has changed" and is no longer racist.
Mayon hid in south Tel Aviv, in an area populated with many migrant workers and asylum seekers, from Darfur to China, Romania to the Phillippines.
@BowlingForDollars: I have to disagree. I think the problem of racism is still a huge problem. I would say that the number of Neo-Nazi/White Supremacists is relatively small and the groups disorganized. It's one thing to be a bigot, but it's another to join an organization that promotes racial hatred and violence. Both the set and the subset are malignant jackoffs, but I think that the latter is a small minority. Then again, we are just two people giving non-specific terms like "larger" and "small." I guess we would both probably agree that any number of these people is too many.
@Swifter: Hah! Have you ever seen Bowling? She could be a secret weapon. Put her on point, then when everyone is staring and disoriented (she's very purdy), mow them down or approach and ask if they would like hospitals, schools and infrastructure. Yes?, okay, here's how we'll do it...
They are disorganized until they get their shit together, and then they kill people. And they do, rather frequently, although, of course, even one time is way too many. Chillbear, I am PMing you. @ChillbearLatrigue:
@BookishLookish: Yeah, I somehow wound up on a side of this debate that I really don't want to argue. It happens to me about one out of every ten topics. I think just about everyone who countered me in this thread had pretty good observations and yes, BL, we never want to underestimate the threat.
I dunno. Not saying that there aren't white supremacists in the military (both American and Canadian, btw), but don't you think it's possible that many of these "active duty military personnel" are Texas Minuteman/border patrol fascists and/or their wannabees?
@BookishLookish: Yeah (I remember that map from last year!); just sayin' I don't particularly trust the self-categorization skills of people who log on to a site like "New Saxon".
@Xylo: Agreed. While there are no shortage of racist assholes in the Forces (US and Canuckistan) the majority of those self-identifying as such on recreational sites are impersonating weasels, basement-dwelling postal rampage types who use fake sherriff's badges to pull over hot girls and ask for blow jobs.
I've noticed this in lots of places around the net. Guys -- in uniform, sometimes even giving their name and where they are stationed -- indicating that they are neo Nazis or White Supremacists. But don't ever point it out, because everyone in the military is exempt from criticism (except homos, of course). They're all working-class, real-American saints, see. Just thank them for their service and look the other way.
I would bet that a whole lot more than 40 military members are actively nursing some old-school racist attitudes. Maybe the venn diagram overlap between 'internet savvy' and 'racist military man' is not so large. [Note: If you've ever watched the PBS show 'Carrier' (Netflix on demand) they demonstrate a considerable intersection between the 'reality tv show participant' and 'racist military man' segments!]
If we apply the logic of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell to racists, then you cannot go on a witch hunt for racists any more than you can for homosexuals. It would be like looking for active military personnel on gay networking sites and then reporting them to the military. Does that logic apply in this case?
@iplaudius: The problem with the Dont Ask Dont Tell law is that mere suspicion of Homosexuality can result in expulsion from the military. Suspicion, intent, or propensity to be racist doesn't mean you're expelled.
@stoprobbers: I grew up on military bases in the late 70s and 80s and don't remember it being so flagrant. In fact, I remember those types of people as being rare. It seems this really flared up in the 90s and was never extinguished. I think perhaps because of the civil rights movement of the 60s and 70s people were intermarrying and willing to speak up about racism. I remember it being great. I played with all kinds of children with mothers and fathers from places I'd never heard of, but got to learn about.
Last time I went on a base in the 90s it wasn't the multicultural mecca it once was. It seemed like they were segregating themselves.
I don't know, I think it may have started around the Gulf War. I remember the way those guys talked to each other and the things that they were allowed to say were shocking to just about everyone. I'm not trying to say there wasn't racism, but the attitude was different. Maybe it was just a more quiet resentment because there were more of us than them.
07/19/09
Just sayin'
07/19/09
07/19/09
07/19/09
Wikipedia is your friend:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Von_Braun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paperclip
07/19/09
07/19/09
07/19/09
Rockets are too phallic for me. I hope that answers your question.
07/19/09
Thanks for the link. I appreciate it. WWII brought brilliance to the United States, a refuge. I guess when I think of a war criminal, I think of someone who worked at a camp or loaded a train or was first-person involved in some way.
The article seems to imply that he came here and became a loyal tool.
My governor's father was a Nazi.
You're right. Its all very complicated, isn't it?
07/19/09
07/19/09
Life seems to be such a bloody filthy mess, one generation after the next. No one learns. A 33-y/o American with every opportunity to succeed becomes a KKK member. 60 years ago, a scientist weighs his options and jumps teams.
I wish I had good answers. I don't.
Good Luck to Us.
07/19/09
Mayer needed to look at Wikipedia before he helped maked a li'l Jewish baby. It's Brazil where you don't get extradited if you knock up one of their citizens (under what Brits still call the Ronnie Biggs law).
On the bright side, if his kid grows up, goes to the States and gets mixed up in neo-Nazi stuff - and quite a few of those types have proven to be half-Jewish over the years - he or she could always go back to Israel and avoid extradition under the Law of Return.
"The law is an ass" - Dickens
07/19/09
Mayon hid in south Tel Aviv, in an area populated with many migrant workers and asylum seekers, from Darfur to China, Romania to the Phillippines.
07/19/09
07/19/09
As far as the armed forces, remember when we only had to worry about the gays in the military? Good times.
07/19/09
07/19/09
07/19/09
07/19/09
07/19/09
07/10/09
07/10/09
07/10/09
07/10/09
07/11/09
07/10/09
07/10/09
07/10/09
07/10/09
07/10/09
07/10/09
07/10/09
07/10/09
07/10/09
07/10/09
07/10/09
07/10/09
07/10/09
Last time I went on a base in the 90s it wasn't the multicultural mecca it once was. It seemed like they were segregating themselves.
I don't know, I think it may have started around the Gulf War. I remember the way those guys talked to each other and the things that they were allowed to say were shocking to just about everyone. I'm not trying to say there wasn't racism, but the attitude was different. Maybe it was just a more quiet resentment because there were more of us than them.
This is all just speculation on my part.
07/10/09