Was the U.S. space race a triumph of science — or a moral compromise rooted in Operation Paperclip?
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After WWII, America secretly brought over Nazi scientists (including Wernher von Braun) to build Cold War rockets and later lead NASA’s Moon landing program. These same individuals were involved in the V-2 rocket program that used forced labor and caused massive civilian casualties.
Is it possible to separate scientific achievement from the ethics of how it was achieved? Can progress built on questionable foundations still be celebrated — or does it always carry a historical debt?
Curious what others think.
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After WWII, America secretly brought over Nazi scientists (including Wernher von Braun) to build Cold War rockets and later lead NASA’s Moon landing program. These same individuals were involved in the V-2 rocket program that used forced labor and caused massive civilian casualties.
Is it possible to separate scientific achievement from the ethics of how it was achieved? Can progress built on questionable foundations still be celebrated — or does it always carry a historical debt?
Curious what others think.
Of course it is possible to separate the works from the worker.
However, the USA has committed a vast amount of harm to its citizens and others that it has never been held accountable for. And this is largely due to the majority of citizens feeling like they profited from that cruelty.
However the times have shifted and are coming to a head. The USA is attacking its own citizens and workers directly now- and has been for at least a decade. Millions of working, non-criminals are homeless today that were safe just 5-10 years ago. As these attacks intensify, citizens may be more likely to start holding their government accountable.
Revolution is coming, and it will be brutal.
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After WWII, America secretly brought over Nazi scientists (including Wernher von Braun) to build Cold War rockets and later lead NASA’s Moon landing program. These same individuals were involved in the V-2 rocket program that used forced labor and caused massive civilian casualties.
Is it possible to separate scientific achievement from the ethics of how it was achieved? Can progress built on questionable foundations still be celebrated — or does it always carry a historical debt?
Curious what others think.
Was the U.S. space race a triumph of science — or a moral compromise rooted in Operation Paperclip?
"It looks like you're trying to launch a spacecraft. Would you like help?"
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