Munitions industries everywhere have a sordid history, Don...but most people would probably admire Krupp nowadays if they had backed "a winner" in '39-45. They didn't.

I have an old copy of an article in a local Canadian newspaper from August 1934. It's about Adolf Hitler, chancellor of Germany. Its title is: "Hitler buckles down to save sinking nation - financial and foreign trade situation worst in history"

There is no hint in the article to suggest that Hitler will one day be seen as an evil leader. They had not yet decided that he was a bad guy. The tone of the article seems to suggest, rather, that he is resisting radicalism and taking well-thought and careful measures to rescue a country in great financial and social disorder.

My, my. That was 1934. It's ironical, in retrospect. Read the same paper 10 years later, and you'd hear a totally different story about Hitler. It reminds me of the days when Saddam Hussein was seen as a good ally and friend of the USA.

Once the decision is made, a good ally or a friend or a respected colleague can be turned into a monster and a threat to the entire world virtually overnight...all through the magical power of the mass media.

Or an arms industry can be seen as despicable (Krupp)...or heroic ("the arsenal of democracy)...