Buried Evil: V2 Rocket (Part 3)
Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
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Moral Ambiguity of Von Braun's Actions During WWII and Post-War Opportunism
Von Braun, a high-ranking SS officer, contributed to creating deadly weapons and using slave labor during WWII, despite not being a passionate believer in firing missiles at civilians or using slave labor. He was described as a patriotic opportunist who joined various Nazi organizations to advance his career. Although he wasn't actively seeking to harm anyone, he displayed a lack of concern for the consequences of his actions, ignoring atrocities like the use of concentration camp labor. After the war, he managed to downplay his involvement in Nazi crimes and secure a job with the US Army along with other German scientists, marking a troubling moral ambiguity in his character and choices throughout the wartime and post-war periods.
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