3 ms·
It's tough to make appropriate analogies (which are hyperbolic) without the topic being blasphemous. But companies like IBM, Hugo Boss, and Volkswagen still ge
by pfranz 7y ago
It's tough to make appropriate analogies (which are hyperbolic) without the topic being blasphemous. But companies like IBM, Hugo Boss, and Volkswagen still get talked about as supporting Nazis during WWII. BASF even has a page about their involvement manufacturing Zyklon B gas [1]. I do think you have a point of bespoke vs mass market, but I still think there's a line. Even in the bespoke category you hear about celebrities taking large paychecks to attend parties for questionable people and often get defended because they're not formally supporting them but are draining their wealth by some amount.
I think the difference might be a commodity relationship; nobody would question <villain> using Windows, but a business account with Microsoft would. Even with <villain> using Windows, if it was a prominent and ongoing thing I imagine people would expect Microsoft to intervene.
[1] https://www.basf.com/global/en/who-we-are/history/chronology/1925-1944/1939-1945/kampfstoffe-und-zyklon-b.html https://www.basf.com/global/en/who-we-are/history/chronology...
- woobar 7y agoI am not sure why you include Volkswagen in this list. VW was founded by Nazis, it would be strange if it did not support them during WW2. On the other hand IBM had a choice.
- pfranz 7y agoIt was mentioned more as long-term baggage because of the association. I honestly have no idea if relationships, like IBM's, were frowned upon at the time. I believe most of those close relationships were clandestine at the time and only publicized later. The others, being German companies, even if they weren't founded by Nazis probably would no longer exist if they hadn't cooperated.