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During WWII, IBM supplied the Nazis with mainframe computers and were responsible for untold deaths in exchange for money. It's not that black and white.
by banachtarski 6y ago
During WWII, IBM supplied the Nazis with mainframe computers and were responsible for untold deaths in exchange for money.
It's not that black and white.
- kps 6y agoIt's true that IBM sold unit record (punch card) equipment to the Nazis, but we can be pretty damn sure IBM didn't sell them computers, mainframe or otherwise, because they didn't exist.
- missedthecue 6y agoThat was in the early/mid 30s, not during WW2.
- krainboltgreene 6y agoNot only is that not factually incorrect, it's pretty trivial to check before you comment. Why didn't you?
- missedthecue 6y agoExcuse me? "The Nazis used Hollerith equipment that IBM's German subsidiary during the 1930s – Deutsche Hollerith Maschinen GmbH (Dehomag) – supplied... As did hundreds of foreign-owned companies that did business in Germany at that time" https://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/1388.wss https://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/1388.wss
- chii 6y agoThis argument is always brought up. But it's insincere, because you're just arguing that the nazies are bad, not that IBM was bad for helping the nazies. Because if you were, you should also argue that during WW2, any companies that helped the Allies should also befall the same criticism (that of being politically aligned rather than be neutral).
- krainboltgreene 6y agoI really would love to grill you on this in real time because I suspect you're simply ignorant of IBM's involvement. IBM helped with the holocaust. Actively. Past 1939. IBM is bad for helping the nazis and for helping kill many people.
- minitech 6y agoWhat you got out of that comment was that IBM was wrong to help the Nazis because doing so made it politically aligned??