I'm weirdly shocked that "Slave Labor Built V-Weapons" is still up on a government website (the national museum of the US Air Force).
So many people out there are acting like the guy who did a Nazi salute at the presidential podium isn't doing everything he can to create a future that lets him coerce undocumented immigrants and other "undesirables" to build his rockets and cars.
Caught up on "For All Mankind" the other day (🤩🤩🤩), and I appreciate even more that they called out Wernher von Braun in an earlier season for using forced labor at Peenemünde to build rockets. I knew about it from history class, but I don't think it's wide knowledge these days that he *definitely* was aware and — putting it as charitably as possible — chose to look the other way.
"I just wanted so badly for us to fly into the heavens" is no better an excuse than "I was just following orders".
We know for certain that Elon is willing to use the same excuse.
He's been claiming that he wants to save the planet, as if it would pain him not to do everything he could, and that his companies have done more than anyone else to help Earth.
But he's long been ignoring palpable evidence about how he's hurting the planet and the people who work for him. (Not to mention those who don't work for him — don't get me started on automotive safety.)
Oh, and also props to Tom Lehrer for calling out von Braun *in the mid-60's* already, so we have a cultural landmark making it clear that he was sus in the public eye even if not all of Operation Paperclip was public at the time.
Also, I don't want to imply that the US should never have considered giving von Braun a role.
But we know that he was uniquely skilled in leading an advanced rocket program in part *because* he was willing to perpetrate atrocities. The US was willing to sweep that under the rug *and* put him in charge of a lot of other people.
I'm not saying people can't do their best to atone (cf. Schindler's List). But let's maybe make it clear that a precedent of blanket amnesty doesn't cut it anymore.
Lucas Garron