Chapter 15: Letter Of Submission
Lin Ran smelled a strong scent of a loyalty test from this.
However, he did not refuse immediately, because obviously the conditions Professor Horkheimer offered were enough to move him.
He wanted to hear more.
“Of course, everything has a price,” Horkheimer said.
Lin Ran felt relieved instead: “Professor, what do you need me to do for you?”
Horkheimer stared straight at him: “You need to truly join the Frankfurt School. How about this: come study for a PhD in philosophy under me, and I will personally mentor you.
If your PhD graduation paper can satisfy me, I will give you some extra surprises.
You don’t need to worry about anything else; I will arrange all the doubts about your identity properly.”
It was indeed a loyalty test, but the conditions of this loyalty test were a bit too good.
Becoming a direct disciple under Horkheimer, the founding patriarch of the Frankfurt School, not only meant that all members of the Frankfurt School could become his helpers.
Jewish people come in many kinds; Horkheimer’s father was the owner of a local textile factory in Stuttgart, Germany, and this identity was undoubtedly one with original sin in Germany during the S2 period.
Similarly, after the war ended, Jewish people with this kind of identity became elite in Europe and America. Plus, as a famous professor, Horkheimer belonged to the Brahmin among Jewish people in the America environment.
Becoming Horkheimer’s direct disciple also meant he would gain help from the Jewish community.
To enter the core circle of the Jewish community in the future, one either had to visit Loli Island and leave some photos there, or marry into a Jewish family—either way, one had to do some real work.
What Horkheimer mentioned—being able to casually arrange for the Rockefeller Foundation to provide cover for his identity—was, in Lin Ran’s view, indirect proof that he could gain help from the Jewish community.
Moreover, in Lin Ran’s mind, whether starting his own business in the future when the timing is right, or stirring global public opinion, making good use of the Jewish community would be all benefits and no harm.
Even the secret about the Jewish community he learned in 1960 could potentially be used in 2020.
“Professor, it is a great honor to systematically study critical theory under you. This time you are going to Göttingen, I also want to go with you.”
Lin Ran did not say much about his relationship with the Fabian Society and the Frankfurt School; he did not directly say yes or no, but adopted an ambiguous attitude throughout.
“I want to systematically study critical theory, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t studied this stuff before.”
As for going to Göttingen, Lin Ran thought of leaving some anchors in Germany.
As for Lower Saxony, where the University of Göttingen is located, belonging to West Germany during the Cold War and still within America’s sphere of influence, there was no way around it.
America’s control over Göttingen was certainly much weaker than on American soil.
At present, he had not yet found a suitable opportunity to go to the other camp and leave a mark.
“But my identity might have some problems.” Lin Ran’s implication was that for someone like him who appeared out of nowhere, if you want to cover for my identity, you have to do the paperwork completely.
Professor Horkheimer did not discuss this, but turned to another topic: “Randolph, are you interested in aerospace?”
Lin Ran tensed up inside: “Of course, I am an aerospace enthusiast.”
Horkheimer continued: “There might be an opportunity. NASA has long been dominated by scientists from NAZI; we need our own scientists to compete with them.
Evil forces like NAZI scientists cannot last forever.
NASA has extremely strict background checks; we will fabricate your identity according to that standard.
Even von Braun’s identity was tolerated by the federal government; your identity is much more legitimate than his.”
Lin Ran fell silent; since the big shot had said so, if he really became his student, the other party would not harm him.
To avoid trouble, Lin Ran returned to 2020 that night and drove all the way to Columbia University, hoping to find some ideas from the historical archives.
“This trip was not in vain; so that’s how it is.”
From the 1960s historical archives in the Columbia University library, he glimpsed a mystery.
John Kennedy would be elected at the end of 1960; his election was a turning point in American history because he had both Irish descent and Catholicism background.
The former, though also white, Irish descent whites were a minority group in America.
Catholicism, Protestantism, and Mormonism all belong to Christianity, but in America, Catholicism is also a minority. Protestants account for about 50%, Catholics less than 25%.
In other words, Kennedy’s background was that of a minority group in America in 1960; his election obviously received certain support, including from the Jewish community.
During his campaign, the Jewish community spared no effort.
First, since the Roosevelt New Deal, that is, 1930, Jewish descent people have supported the Donkey Party with over 70% proportion; Kennedy was the Donkey Party candidate.
Second, in this 1960 election, New York State was not yet a solid Donkey Party vote bank; at that time, New York State was still a swing state. One-third of Jewish people nationwide were concentrated in New York State, totaling 2 million people, and they played a crucial role in Kennedy winning New York State.
Finally, Jewish background media people like Philip Graham of the Washington Post went all out to promote Kennedy, and Jewish community entrepreneurs like Abraham Feinberg of Chicago provided campaign financial support for him.
Obviously, as a Brahmin in the Jewish community, Horkheimer had long known that their support target this year was Kennedy.
Historically, after Kennedy’s victory, he repaid the Jewish community with very strong actions, approving the sale of “Hawk” anti-aircraft missiles to Israel—this was America’s first direct arms sale to Israel.
It can be said that America’s path to recognizing daddy began with Kennedy.
And the reason Horkheimer mentioned NASA is that NASA is now dominated by German scientists from NAZI.
Although the Jewish community views NASA’s German scientists as enemies and wishes they would die.
But during this period, without German scientists providing technical support, NASA could not bear the flag of competing with the Soviet Union at all.
Lin Ran discovered a very interesting record from history: Arthur Rudolf retired from NASA in 1969. During his tenure, he even received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. Even many years later, in the 1980s and 1990s, America’s archives on Arthur Rudolf still had many redactions and were not public.
And after the Soviet Union disintegrated, not only were Arthur Rudolf’s archives made public, but America even stripped him of his pension; as for whether there was physical destruction, no specific information could be found in the archives and news.
“So, if I show enough strength, the Jewish community will support me in driving the German scientists out of NASA? Turning NASA into my personal fiefdom might not be impossible?”
