I’m not gonna defend his actions. But also, they choice there’s would’ve been to abandon rocketry and become an armed rebel…or keep your good position while trying to ignore all the nasty shit that goes into it.
I’m not excusing his behaviour, but from a rational, realistic, perspective how many of us would really be up for throwing everything away, risking everyone you love and know, etc etc.
If everyone would’ve been against the nazis, they wouldn’t have gotten that powerful to begin with.
Oh yeah. I absolutely think that the US did the right thing with Von Braun with Paperclip, including his naturalized citizenship and the eventual National Medal of Science, that was well-earned.
I just think we should absolutely not white wash the history at the same time. People are complex entities who are capable of both evil and good.
He also oversaw slave labor as part of his job, and he was well aware that the rockets were terror bombing civilians in England.
More prisoners died building the V-2 rockets than were killed by them in attacks.
I’m not gonna defend his actions. But also, they choice there’s would’ve been to abandon rocketry and become an armed rebel…or keep your good position while trying to ignore all the nasty shit that goes into it.
I’m not excusing his behaviour, but from a rational, realistic, perspective how many of us would really be up for throwing everything away, risking everyone you love and know, etc etc.
If everyone would’ve been against the nazis, they wouldn’t have gotten that powerful to begin with.
“Since we’re stuck in here, you might as well answer my question about the French resistance…”
Again not defending or excusing nazi fucks. Just pointing out hindsight is 2020
Problem is he pretended he was apolitical and that he didn’t know after the fact
When a simple “yeah they’d have fucking killed me had I tried escaping” would have been a lot less self-incriminating than “idc, me like rockets :)”
Oh yeah. I absolutely think that the US did the right thing with Von Braun with Paperclip, including his naturalized citizenship and the eventual National Medal of Science, that was well-earned.
I just think we should absolutely not white wash the history at the same time. People are complex entities who are capable of both evil and good.
There was always defecting. He was a respected rocket scientist