The point about Mercedes and AutoUnion is hardly a straw man. The point is that the politically correct view is that the Nazis never did anything right in the auto industry or otherwise. This is a lie and a dangerous one. If tyrants and despots were incompetent, they would never have risen to power. Sadaam Hussein was not incompetent, only evil, like Hitler. To underestimate these people and dismiss them as fools is to commit the same fatal error as the German establishment made when they invited Hitler to form a government, believing he was a fool they could control. Underestimating evil invites its success.
But enough of this, back to classic bikes.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
<avitzur@013.net.il>; <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Sent: Monday, June 07, 2004 7:27 PM Subject: [CR]Re: RE - Jerry Moos remarks on "People's Car"
> >Jerry Moos wrote:
> >>
> >> "It seems the most prominent champion of affordable automobiles for
the
> >> European masses was, sadly, Adolph Hitler, who ordered development of
the
> >> Volkswagen, or "People's Car" as a way of solidifying his popularity
with
> > > the German working class."
>
> Amir Avitzur replied
>
> > > That's nonsense. Adolph Hitler used the VW as a way of syphoning
money from
> >> the masses for his war effort. VW delivered very, very few cars "to
the
> >> masses" before or during the WWII. VW "people's cars" first became
popular
> > > under British and American occupation.
>
> Jerry wrote:
>
> >That sounds like politically correct revisionist history to me.
>
> I don't believe it is. A number of years ago I read a book, I
> believe it was called "small wonder" which was a history of the VW
> Beetle.
>
> http://www.bentleypublishers.com/
>
> Amir's message agrees quite well with my recollection of that
> history. This project was part of an organization called "Kraft
> durch Freude" or "Strength through Joy." Members would pay a weekly
> contribution toward the cost of their putative automobile, but in the
> end hardly any were actually delivered to the civilians who funded
> the enterprise. Although the factory did get built, once production
> began the output went almost exclusively to the military.
>
> See: http://www.fact-index.com/
>
> >Next you
> >will say that the magnificant Mercedes and Auto Union racing cars
developed
> >under the Nazis were just an optical illusion.
>
> That's the "straw man" form of argument.
>
> >When Hitler wanted to siphon
> >money he unfortunately had much more direct and brutal means at his
> >disposal. Denying the successes and popularity of tyrants like Hitler
and
> >Stalin only makes one less vigilant in detecting future tyrants before
they
> >gain power.
>
> The KdFWagen was not one of those successes, and saying so is not an
> example of "politically correct revisionist history."
>
> See also:
http://people.westminstercollege.edu/
>
> Sheldon "Give Hitler Credit For The Autobahns, But Not The VW" Brown
> Newtonville, Massachusetts
> +-----------------------------------------------------------------+
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> | of June. I hope to remain online, but don't know what sort |
> | of 'Net access I'll be able to get... |
> +-----------------------------------------------------------------+
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