In the first half, Professor Brian E. Crim, an expert in the history of 20th-century warfare, shared details of Operation Paperclip, which incorporated ex-Nazis into the American military-industrial complex. Conceived in the final months of WWII, Paperclip exploited Germany's scientific and technical infrastructure for the benefit of America's defense, and later commercial interests. While introduced as a two-year program in 1945, it survived under different names all the way up until the 1970s, he noted, adding that the Soviets had a similar operation importing German scientists. The Germans were about five years ahead of the US regarding rocket technology, said Crim, so that was part of the urgency and motivation for the project.
Wernher von Braun became one of the best-known scientists that came from Paperclip and was instrumental in developing the ballistic missile program-- his team was later assimilated into NASA. von Braun, said Crim, "was custom made for the American military-industrial complex," skilled at turning a blueprint into a working device. After Paperclip became known to the US public, there was a widespread backlash-- Albert Einstein, for instance, penned a New York Times editorial condemning the program. Bureaucrats, Crim noted, weren't necessarily opposed to exploiting the scientists, but were appalled at the idea that they could earn US citizenship. For more, check out related archival photos.
------------------------
In the latter half, author, strategist, and researcher, Jason Louv discussed the world of spiritual, occult and esoteric traditions. While Western magic and Eastern mysticism have their different aims, he recommended combining the two approaches, by manifesting your life goals (Western) while practicing meditation (Eastern), so you have the insight to understand that the material world isn't all there is. In particular, he talked about how the work of John Dee, one of history's most celebrated occultists, has helped shape the modern world through his focus on religious freedom.
When Dee, a 16th-century advisor to Queen Elizabeth I, linked up with the talented medium Edward Kelly, a ne'er do well who had his ears cut off for forgery, they began a series of conversations with angels by using magical rituals and scrying. Starting with communications from archangels Michael and Gabriel, they advanced to bizarre and profound psychedelic apparitions, Louv recounted, like "giants with suns for heads and pillars of brass for legs... they see angels that are just full of wings upon wings, and angels with multiple pupils in each eye. At one point, they even see God...What they saw was a gigantic whale covered with eyes from head to toe. The mouth of which emitted this tremendous colossal howling." From these encounters, they learned the "Enochian language," said to be spoken by angels, and humanity, before the fall of Eden.
News segment guests: Lauren Weinstein, Catherine Austin Fitts