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Werner Von Braun was an actual nazi. He was also a great scientist. The world is just complicated sometimes. The idea that all his science funding was an elabo

by darawk 6y ago

Werner Von Braun was an actual nazi. He was also a great scientist. The world is just complicated sometimes. The idea that all his science funding was an elaborate ruse to insulate himself from prosecution is just not a very well grounded view. His chosen method of insulation was terribly inefficient with respect to time and money. He would have gotten a much better ROI by investing in politicians directly, the fact that he chose to focus more on science than politics makes it pretty clear that he had a genuine interest/passion for it. I don't see why he can't like science for its own sake and be a child abuser. The two things are not mutually exclusive.

tptacek 6y ago
Epstein is not a great scientist. In fact, he's not a scientist at all.
- darawk 6y ago
  That wasn't my point. My point was that people can simultaneously do evil things and like science.
  - jacquesm 6y ago
    Have you considered the option that Epstein didn't like science as such but liked the influence and air of respectability that hanging out with scientists and being seen as a supporter gave him? It could easily be a form of whitewashing of his reputation that he would not be able to do otherwise. Nothing spells 'good guy' more clearly than large donations to science and education.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
haffenloher 6y ago
> Werner Von Braun was an actual nazi. He was also a great scientist. Some recent research suggests he might not have been that great a scientist after all. The story goes that he was an impostor who got to his position mostly due to his influential father and whose main skill was managing others who did the actual work. Here's a bachelor's thesis from 2018 and an interview with the author - both in German, unfortunately: https://www.christopherlauer.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Christopher-Lauer-Umst%C3%A4nde-und-Voraussetzungen-f%C3%BCr-Wernher-von-Brauns-Eintritt-in-das-Heereswaffenamt-Pr%C3%BCfwesen-FINAL-Kopie-f%C3%BCr-Ver%C3%B6ffentlichung-im-Internet.pdf https://www.christopherlauer.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/C... https://wrint.de/2019/01/15/wr903-wernher-von-braun/ https://wrint.de/2019/01/15/wr903-wernher-von-braun/

by darawk 6y ago

tptacek 6y ago

Epstein is not a great scientist. In fact, he's not a scientist at all.

darawk 6y ago
That wasn't my point. My point was that people can simultaneously do evil things and like science.
- jacquesm 6y ago
  Have you considered the option that Epstein didn't like science as such but liked the influence and air of respectability that hanging out with scientists and being seen as a supporter gave him? It could easily be a form of whitewashing of his reputation that he would not be able to do otherwise. Nothing spells 'good guy' more clearly than large donations to science and education.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]

haffenloher 6y ago

> Werner Von Braun was an actual nazi. He was also a great scientist. Some recent research suggests he might not have been that great a scientist after all. The story goes that he was an impostor who got to his position mostly due to his influential father and whose main skill was managing others who did the actual work. Here's a bachelor's thesis from 2018 and an interview with the author - both in German, unfortunately: https://www.christopherlauer.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Christopher-Lauer-Umst%C3%A4nde-und-Voraussetzungen-f%C3%BCr-Wernher-von-Brauns-Eintritt-in-das-Heereswaffenamt-Pr%C3%BCfwesen-FINAL-Kopie-f%C3%BCr-Ver%C3%B6ffentlichung-im-Internet.pdf https://www.christopherlauer.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/C... https://wrint.de/2019/01/15/wr903-wernher-von-braun/ https://wrint.de/2019/01/15/wr903-wernher-von-braun/