I have watched pretty much every documentary available in English, and many of the German documentaries about Germany during the Nazi era, including some about Wernher von Braun and my understanding is that, while he may not have been a Nazi in the sense that he shared Hitler's hatred for the Jewish people and other parts of the Nazi agenda, he was perfectly willing and eager to participate in it so long as he had the funding for the science that he was interested in. I would say that he was an amoral man, not necessarily immoral because morality didn't figure into any of it for him. His interest was in the science, and if millions of people needed to die in order for him to be able to pursue his interests, he was okay with that, as he was okay with the use of Jewish slave labor. He wasn't alone, however. He wasn't even the only von Braun, as his brother Magnus von Braun also came to the United States. Following World War II, the United States and Russia competed in the recruitment of German scientists; to some extent, perhaps England as well. More than 1,500 Nazi scientists, engineers and technicians were recruited by the United States. The operation was known as Operation Paperclip, and it included a public relations campaign to sanitize or whitewash the pasts of the more notable of them. Former Nazi scientists were key parts of the space programs developed by both the United States and Russia. Of course, it doesn't necessarily follow that NASA is an evil agency.
I actually DID answer your question , @Chrissy Page , maybe you just missed reading it in my post ? I am not trying to say that you have to agree with me, I am just trying to have an actual discussion about the topic with you. I say what I think and why I think that, and you say what you think and why you think it. That is how a discussion works, even if we never come to an agreement on the topic, we both present our reasons for believing what we do. This area is specifically for discussion of conspiracies, and anyone who is not interested in discussing them can just bypass the whole area. That is what I do with the topics that do not interest me. So if you are in this thread, then I am assuming that you have a viewpoint about the topic, and not here just to say that conspiracies don't exist, or whatever. In this case, I chose an actual documented part of history, and you still said that it was not so, in spite of the information that I linked, and which you obviously, did not read.
Yvonne, have I misread? Are you saying that only people who believe one of your conspiracies is, or was actual, are welcome to post in those threads?
That is exactly what I did NOT say, @Ruby Begonia . I said that no one has to agree, or even believe in any of the conspiracies here. It is simply a place to discuss them, and present our viewpoint. One person starts the thread, and the other people who have an opinion about the thread, then say WHY they do or do not believe the conspiracy could have happened. To just post on the thread and assert that something is not true, is not a discussion, and does not lead to a discussion.
I would like to present the manner in which @Ken Anderson presented his particular ideas concerning the topic at hand. He came in acknowledging that he had READ the information made available and then wrote his findings. It's called transferring information or rather "conversation" with the idea that someone else might find the offerings interesting enough to study up also and either agree or disagree in an intelligent and amiable way. Fireside learning so to speak. The topic has to do with Von Braun and fellow scientists who were allowed to come to the United States and do what they did for the German SS sans the human slavery etc. I looked up the link that was provided and found other information as well concerning the subject and have found no fault in the initial piece. After looking at some of the other posts I wonder if some of the posters are truly interested in the subject matter because I see little reference or evidence provided in order for a proper rebuttal to come to light albeit most have offered up opinion rather than facts. I like to learn and I would like to learn in this forum as well as other places of reference. But, in order to properly learn, one must have some meat to consume rather than mashed taters. It is true what Ken said in his last sentence because the end result is not that NASA is an evil agency because of it's beginnings, but it is interesting to find out that it's beginning were more sanctioned toward the Nazi Sauerkraut and Sausage rather than American Apple Pie.
I have read the material. It seems all this did occur and eventually was little more than an open secret. I think it was important to the USA to get these minds and technology for our purposes. The USSR did the same. It was the beginning of "the Cold War". Yes, they had been Nazis, but their real loyalty was to their technology. I feel it was smart to bring them here. We have the results today..along with many other bright minds in the years since. I don't see it as a sinister plot or conspiracy.
If we hadn't, the Soviet Union would have dominated the space program. That doesn't make Wernher von Braun a good guy however, and I'm sure he would have just as happily worked for the Soviets. It was a conspiracy, however. While the facts are fairly well known now, that was not the case at the time. It was very much against both U.S. and international laws that we had just agreed to in the Potsdam and Yalta agreements. There are real conspiracies, and I strongly suspect that there are far more of them than we'd like to believe, and that we are seldom told the truth about anything. That doesn't mean that the theories are always correct, but that it is not necessarily accurate to always add the word "theory" after the word "conspiracy."
I agree he wasn't a good guy..our government used his intelligence for our purposes..I agree it was a covert operation at the time...and I also agree it was a conspiracy. It's actually just history more than a "Conspiracy Theory".,,so actually it's probably in the wrong place. I would also agree there have been conspiracies by governments and such.. I think the inference that today's NASA is run by Nazis is a rather misleading premise...that's like an Enquirer headline that sensationalizes the facts to sell papers.
Well, maybe they get lucky once in a while..but their goal isn't to reveal the truth..it's to sell papers.
Uh, I had to re-read everything again and I must be missing something for I see no inference that today's NASA is run by the Nazi party. I do believe there are times when we read a bit too much into something and come up with our own analysis of a subject. Very similar to writing, when one reads one sometimes adds to or subtracts from the basic format and comes up with a completely different thought that was not in the original reading. But, that does bring up an interesting question concerning NASA employees. I do wonder how many employees are part of the American Nazi Party, the Communist party, the Black Panthers or even the KKK. It doesn't make a difference I suppose but it is an interesting thought. I imagine that not everyone working for NASA has a major security clearance but some have had only a basic background check. As for this being in the wrong place......uh.......seniorsonly forum right? Yup......right place. I am sure Ken can re-route the whole thing if there is a better home for it.
Well Bobby... I think the discussion of Nazis being employed by NASA at the onset is a discussion of history... The OP stated the fact that this happened made her doubt the government. That's fine really and I respect her right to do so. I, on the other hand was pleased our government did what it had to do in light of what was going on...so that event didn't make me doubt the government. So, that's cool nobody thinks NASA is being run by Nazi's today..you never know right? Maybe someone has investigated that. I'm well aware this is Senior'sOnly...and listen I gave an opinion about where it's posted but it's just my opinion. I don't believe the government is perfect, lily white or beyond anything...but in the discussion of this issue..a historical fact...I think our government did right by bringing them here and using the science and technology for the greater good.
"There are real conspiracies, and I strongly suspect that there are far more of them than we'd like to believe, and that we are seldom told the truth about anything." Quoted of Ken. The current charade known as the selection of candidates to run our country, contains conspiracies of various types, as well as subterfuge, lies, indiscretions, and amorality. Having expressed that as my view only, I have to conclude that our own "country" is far from "squeaky-clean", but I will not belittle a "country", for it is not animate, cannot speak for itself. Thus, meaning is more easily seen in the bumper stickers stating "I love my Country, but fear it's Government". Frank