Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/08/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]B. D. Colen wrote: > > Of course he wasn't a Nazi; he was just an > apolitical scientist persuing > knowledge. Just as Leni was an apolitical artist > creating great art. Nah, B.D., mein landsmann, von Braun was by far the worse, and by numerous degrees of evil. His charming rockets actually killed many Britons. He was working on machines to kill many more. In the common parlance of these times, von Braun designed and built weapons of mass destruction. Them's fightin' words down in Crawford. (attn: Marc J. Small: please check that last statement and confirm objective accuracy ASAP). Riefenstahl was an all too skillful propagandist and an unwitting accomplice to Naziism, as such. But it is sticks and stones that break bones. Names can never hurt -- even 12 letter names like p-r-o-p-a-g-a-n-d-i-s-t. Big questions remain about what she knew and when she knew it -- the journalist's $64,000 questions. There was no question about the intended result of von Braun's efforts: blowing up English women and children. But Von Braun got off scott free because he jumped to perform valuable (so they said) services to the good ol' US of A after WWII. He landed Neil on Luna before the godless Ruskies got there. So we gotta luv the guy. Right? Riefenstahl visited with Walt Disney in the USA pre-WWII, on her Olympics film tour. But Leni's tragic flaw was that she failed to prostitute herself thereafter to Disney. Just imagine: director of "Lady and the Tramp" or "Snow White," all for our innocent viewing pleasure. So she gets roasted as a woman and an artist -- an unpardonable sin, remember, until not so long ago. Finally, Leni's big film adventure gave us the 180/2.8 "Olympia" Sonnar -- grandpapa of all the fast 180mm lenses that came after, including Leitz's. Now Doug, aren't you glad we didn't kill the thread? We all got a friggin' lens out of it! Emanuel Lowi Montreal ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca