What purpose would it have served not to buy the car, though, Kat?
Certainly didn't help Hitler, and it helped rebuild the German economy to
the point where there would be no impoverished Germans willing to listen to
an Austrian paper-hanger say, "blame the Jews for your troubles."

The combination of Germanic genius and the Marshall Plan is what
re-established stability in post-war West Europe.  Without massive exports
of Volkswagens, who's to say that another fascist wouldn't have put a
humiliated Germany back in the same place?  After WWI, the Allies humiliated
and bound Germany so much that the people were living in incredible poverty.

I think I said something on the list about dissecting the aftermath of
Hurricane Andrew in South Florida.  Because then-governor Lawton Chiles
refused to ask for Federal assistance, some people in Homestead were
suffering from severe dehydration and hunger.  The very fabric of society
was unravelling in a matter of a couple days.  People were willing to shoot
other people just to get potable water.

Now, magnify that scenario by 60 million people and ten years--you can see
how people would want to blame "someone".  In essence, we left Germany to
rot after the war, and purposely ham-strung its economy.  Hitler and company
blamed the Jews, but the finger should have been pointed directly at the
Allies.  After WWII, Truman and Churchill had learned their lesson.

Now the Germans have the luxury of electing an idiot like Schroeder (tongue
planted firmly in-cheek).

-Kyle

-----Original Message-----
From: Kathy Salkin [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2002 2:12 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Question


I'd no idea until today that Hitler'd had any role in the development of the
Volkswagen Beetle.  Not sure I'd have bought my car if I'd known at the
time.

Kat

On Thu, 10 Oct 2002 12:57:08 -0400 Meir Weiss <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Volkes as in folks/ nation
>
> Wagon/  car
>
> My father may he r.i.peace
>
> Was a child  holocaust survivor (orphan)
>
> For his whole life he refused to buy german
> products
>
> ESP volkeswagon-bmw (bavaria
>
> Mercedes benz
>
> All those
>
> Just fyi  :)