Steissd
Where do you mean by "the eastern hemisphere"?
I'm afraid your list of nazi technological achievements does not demonstrate how Hitler was good for the world in any way. Quite the reverse in fact.
I'm working from my son's computer, so this must be brief.
I don't know how anyone could ever think, even for a moment, that I find anything admirable about Hitler. Let me recommend Erik Hoffer's seminal book, "The True Believer". This book should be a must read for anyone seeking to understand how dedication to an Ideal can be perverted. Steve is quite right about how PC tends to make any comment, other than unqualified loathing, about mid-20th century totalitarianism subject to universal condemnation.
Gotta quit now or this system will kick me off. It's just not used to my long winded diatribes.
Eastern Hemisphere means Europe, Asia and Africa; technically, Australia and New Zealand are there as well, but I did not mean these countries.
Steve, I am very far from being an admirer of the NSDAP Führer Adolf Hitler (this politician is the least popular in my country), but we cannot deny some obvious things. The militarist regime in the Nazi Germany encouraged development of technologies for war purposes, and generous budget grants made it possible to develop both jet propulsion air planes and ballistic missiles. And these had a strong positive influence on the development of technology in the post-war period. Works of Werner von Braun paved to the mankind a way to space exploration, for example; and I need not comment here importance of the jet propulsion air planes, it is quite a known thing.
Steissd
Ok think I understand what you mean now. But the question is - was Hitler himself any good for the world? There are numerous examples of how the struggle against nazism may have led to some beneficial effects, so I suppose you could argue that if Hitler had not come along neither would the fight against him and hence the beneficial effects.
But thats not an argument supporting the good of Hitler. The technology he developed for waging war was certainly impressive, but I don't think you can count that as being "good for the world", and you might think it was positively bad, if you happened to be at the receiving end of a V2 missile.
I was going to end there but then Eureka! Hitler was kind to animals, and BANNED FOX HUNTING. So there you go, after all that, he was good for foxes!
steissed, I can't believe for a moment that jet propulsion nor balistic missiles would not exist today except for the fact the Hitler funded its research. He may have speeded its discovery, but that's all. c.i.
Steissd
I'm glad you use the terms "to my mind" and "in my humble opinion", so as to differentiate between opinion and fact.
Of course, this is an opinion. The ultimate truth is known only by the Lord.
Hitler came to power legally and as a result of popular election. The people of Germany wanted Hitler as leader, and by very wide margins. Were the people decieved and deluded? Most wanted the economic security that Hitler promised, they wanted release from what they regarded as unfair reparations for WWI. The Communist Party was a real threat, and Hitler provided a more attractive alternative. Italian Facism made the trains run on time, and provided full-employment. Why not in Germany?
People were aware of Hitler's race theories, and even felt that his methods were sometimes too rough, but that the times demanded a strong hand. It was easy to salve German pride by blaming the Jews for the sudden loss of WWI and the imposition of a Republic that seemed to be corrupt and tilted toward the very wealthy. Many Germans held the same chauvinistic ideas about their superiority that the Nazi's espoused.
Hitler was an Idealist, a charismatic opportunist. An ignorant Corporal who had won military honors in the trenches that the wealthy and powerful believed they could control. Ha!
Technology will advance, but it's progress is almost always accelerated during periods of crises when technological development is seen as necessary to national success and survival.
Leon Trotsky on
THE RISE OF HITLER AND DESTRUCTION OF THE GERMAN LEFT
http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1930-ger/index.htm
steissd
I wonder, what all the relatives of the victims say, who lost their lives in the camps/factories working for von Braun. Or the British victims.
As far as I know, von Braun was not prosecuted as a war criminal; he immigrated to the USA and contributed to the American space exploration program and development of ICBMs. Von Braun did not make decisions about launching of V-2 toward London, the OKW did, and its bosses were tried and convicted. Neither did he decide anything regarding usage of the POWs as labor force.
Accusing a talented German engineer Werner von Braun in the collateral effects of his activities is like accusing Albert Einstein and Robert Oppenheimer in casualties of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, despite of the fact that decision about nuclear attack was made by the political leaders and not by the R&D staff.
Walter,
...If you're going to go there, why not wonder if they refuse to ride on the autobahn, or in a volkswagen, or enjoy any of the technological advances that have come about, because of Von Braun.
I'm neither to "going togo here" nor saying that von Braun was a war criminal.
However, he never immigrated to the the USA (look up history, steissd).
For more information, see some of the latest history results, like:
Germans at last learn truth about von Braun's 'space research' base
Who's who in Nazi Germany
von Braun's FBI files
"War criminal von Braun saved by the USArmy"
Booman
The first Autobahn was built in 1921 in Berlin (known as the "AVUS").
Volkswagen was planned by Ferdinand Porsche in the mid of the 20's.
Walter,Walter, Walter....If I'm not mistaken, I believe the crux of this disscussion, is, cause and effect, not evil, or intent.
Are you saying I have been mislead by my fellow contributors into thinking Hitler had something to do with those things. I'm remiss.
But hey, you know what I mean.....right?
