DicKtionary - E is for Eugenics - Otmar von Verschuer

E for eugenics, pseudo science about race,
Selective breeding of humans can make the world a purer place,
When saying, “that’s scary”, those words are ne’er truer,
Then of the main man today, Otmar von Verschuer.
Join us on Patreon: / timeghosthistory
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Written and Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Based on a concept by Astrid Deinhard and Indy Neidell
Produced by: Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Bodo Rittenauer, Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson
Camera by: Ryan Tebo
Edited by: Bastian Beißwenger
A TimeGhost format produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH

[@TimeGhost]

OK... there was typo in habilitation - sorry for that (but we cannot change hardcoded video parts).

[@HistoryMarche]

Although your approach as a host on Great War was more 'serious', I like the more sarcastic and pop-culture-aligned approach on TimeGhost. Great work Indy!

[@Artur_M.]

Wow, You really are everywhere on the historical side of KZbin ;)

[@HistoryMarche]

Absolutely, and I have been for some years now on my other account. But since I started my own channel I merged everything on this account for convenience sake

[@TimeGhost]

Looked at your videos - nice stuff. On behalf of Indy and the team - thanks for the kind words!

[@HistoryMarche]

Thank you kindly sir. Best regards to everyone at TimeGhost!

[@LordVader1094]

+HistoryMarche It definitely makes sense, in my opinion, to be far more serious and respectful with a conflict as horrendously devastating as World War 1, as opposed to a whole series that's basically pointing out the dicks in history. I love the fact that Indy is able to do both, just shows his surprising versatility. :D

[@indianajones4321]

That Spider-Man poster in the back adds to the humor of this series

[@TimeGhost]

...and Indy's Sandman collection on the shelf adds class! #NeilGaimanRocks

[@aintnoslice3422]

We must selectively breed Indy Neidell

[@mikematthews7166]

Phrasing

[@ryanjapan3113]

Ain't no Slice try that again

[@8bitrandomencounter]

A historian who is also a musician, likes comic books (Note the Sandman Omnibi on the book shelf) and has a voice that most radio show hosts would die for... When I'm 50 I hope I'm at least half as cool as Indy.

[@VayleGW]

the well known and in the great war discussed Philippe Pétain, I have no doubt this Frenchman needs an introduction.

[@kennethbedwell5188]

My Great Aunt died during the procedure to sterilize her in 1932. This was a direct result from the Iowa Eugenics Council decision.

[@stefaniewoop9836]

Ich habe mit seinem Sohn, der auch Chefarzt für Psychiatrie ist, in Deutschland zusammen gearbeitet. Ich habe mir schon gedacht, dass er so eine Vergangenheit hat. Er ist jetzt aber in Rente gegangen.

[@SweetActivity]

I'm digging this way more than I would have ever thought. Awesome series! Been watching since ep1

[@TimeGhost]

Thank you

[@Wallyworld30]

I'm impressed a video about Eugenics is left Monetized. Congratz on that small miracle.

[@PausePause98]

G is for Gehngis. Ghenigs Khan United all of Asia under one banner and created the largest contiguous empire in human history. He ushered in a golden age of knowledge by uniting scientists, mathematicians and researchers, and can have about 5 percent of the worlds population traced back to his bloodline (the dude got around). He also killed millions in his conquests, he killed his own brother in a dispute about being the leading male of his household, and was generally a pretty ruthless persons to anyone who stood against him. In other words, he’d be a great figure to have on the World Dicktionary.

[@LordVader1094]

Isn't it where the World Dicktionary is for lesser known people? It's not exactly like many people don't know who Genghis Khan was.

[@shawngilliland243]

Chingis Khan probably raped more women than any other man in history.

[@Ihrgoth]

If Thomas Edison doesn't end up in the dicktionary there ain't no justice in the world.

[@napoleonblownapart8155]

That's quite the sick guitar in the background there Indy. Awesome content as always!!

[@TheSDB13]

I think if you did an episode Shiro Ishii of Unit 731 that you’d need a new scale in evil and dickishness :(

[@TimeGhost]

We cover him in our opening episode of War Against Humanity on the WW2 channel. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZWYipueg8h2apY

[@servinglooks247]

Oh no! The scary pillow is back.

[@m.b.823]

Ich habe mit seinem Sohn zusammen im Krankenhaus gearbeitet er war dort Chefarzt in der Psychiatrie.

[@stargazer7184]

There is a book called Auschwitz by Dr. Miklós Nyiszli, a Jewish Hungarian pathologist imprisoned there who worked directly under Josef Mengele, wherein he talks quite a bit about the "work" that they did. Truly heart breaking stuff.

[@WilliamLawrence7]

You'd be shocked then at what the US, Russia and just about everyone else was doing at the same time. This wasn't just the Nazis.

[@stargazer7184]

@@WilliamLawrence7 I do know. History is nothing if not horrific.

[@capncool247]

I'm not sure if anyone is still wondering but I found the make and model of that guitar, it's a Burns Flyte Electric Guitar.

[@williamgarred438]

Awesome episode guys! Hopefully more people will pick up on the existence of this engaging channel soon

[@TimeGhost]

Thank you - we hope so too!

[@TheNN]

4:22 Tsk tsk tsk, I'm ashamed, Indy, using the Six Million Dollar Man as a reference (mostly cuz he's technically a cyborg), there's only ONE genetically superior human worth making a reference about. (say it with me) *takes in breath* KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHN!!!!!

[@CatobisGaming]

This is great

[@TimeGhost]

Thanks

[@CatobisGaming]

TimeGhost your very welcome love your show

[@salsheikh4508]

You need to revive this series Sir!

[@BountyFlamor]

Shiro Ishii - do him too!

[@MFMegaZeroX7]

Guest dick of this episode Rockerfeller. I'm looking forward to his star appearance in O is for Oil.

[@gaiuscaligula2229]

Ha ha, a Dr Seuss sounding rhyme about Eugenics, brilliant, KZbin algorithms might even add it into recommended videos for kids.

[@GenghisVern]

Dude, this is incredible. wow.

[@GIBunz]

genghis khan, statlin, hitler, the King Henry who beheaded his wives, vlad the impaler who posted people on stakes and forced them to build his castle in the winter, Winston Churchhill, those American presidents who went to war in the Caribbean for fun, the king leopold II of Belgium, I'm sure there are many more, but those are just from recent memory.

[@martenw757]

What i love of all yr channels is yr pronunciation of foreign names. Keep up the good work.

[@mikematthews7166]

Oregon USA had a state eugenics board until 1984...

[@d.e.b.b5788]

Fascinating and amusing at the same time. Great work, Indy! You remind me of my high school algebra teacher, Dick Miller, who made a horribly boring subject interesting. While I already like history, you're better than the rest at making it entertaining at the same time. Keep up the good work!

[@TimeGhost]

I had a great high school history teacher of my own as well! I like to think that he's the reason I'm here right now. - Joram (noting this as you directed your comment to Indy ;)

[@d.e.b.b5788]

@@TimeGhost Joram, I"m sure everyone on the channel contributes to the final product. So thank you, too!

[@TimeGhost]

Thanks!

[@vindobonaification]

I know the Germans and especially the Nazis are a welcome and obvious target for this topic but let's not forget that Eugenics was also quite popular and supported by the Left and from people like John Maynard Keynes Julian Sorell Huxley D.H. Lawrence George Bernard Shaw H.G. Wells and other non-nationalist/not-right wing people

[@x999uuu1]

Eugenics was popular until 1945 when the world learnt of it's heinous logical conclusion.

[@LordVader1094]

@@x999uuu1 Indeed. And in fact the Nazis took pointers from American Eugenics programs.

[@shawngilliland243]

And remember, too, that Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, was a Eugenics believer and booster.

[@ryanjapan3113]

Edelbrandfreund okay?

[@ommurg5059]

Oh well both sides are bad I guess it's fine then.

[@NotHPotter]

Had me at Mengele's boss.

[@OlssonDaniel]

Why is Jean-Claude van Damme on the pillow? 😉

[@davidchicoine6949]

now he is vandamme the french napolionic générale and playing in blood sport at the same time !

[@celticguy197531]

because in the words of Indiana "because he is cool" and he has got 3 of them, i know this because i asked the same thing lol

[@Artur_M.]

I was unaware that habilitation is not a thing in the US, good to know. :) Seriously though, thanks for making video on that subject, it's not as well known as it should be. One of least known, and most fucked up aspects of Nazi eugenics is kidnapping up to 400 thousand children from across the occupied Europe (at least half of them Polish), who matched the Nazi idea of "Aryan" looks (blond, blue eyes...). If during further examination Nazi "experts" found them unfit for germanisation after all, such children ended in concentration camps. Beside Auschwitz most notably a special camp located in Łódź, known as "Kinder KZ" (officially Polen-Jugendverwahrlager der Sicherheitspolizei in Litzmannstadt).

[@TimeGhost]

It's so depressing - going through images for this episode, seeing all those children... it breaks your heart.

[@Artur_M.]

Yeah... Anyway, thanks for replying! I'm very much looking forward to your coverage of WWII. I remember reading a comment at The Great War channel, calming that similar channel about the second world war is not needed, because "everybody knows everything about it", and I think this couldn't be further from the truth. You Guys are doing great and important work.

[@willyreeves319]

i'm sure Woodrow Wilson is on your list

[@shawngilliland243]

"Woodenhead" Wilson, yes!

[@miwoj]

That pillow is the manliest thing ive ever seen

[@pagodebregaeforro2803]

I wonder why the Team stopped to work on the Dicktionary, it only got till the K letter iirc.

[@grantbarnes3678]

Seems like a well-balanced, nuanced analysis.

[@poiuyt975]

That pillow though :)

[@oldmanfromscenetwentyfour8164]

No living people? Damn, I was all set with suggesting the current Administration. I guess we'll have to wait a while ...

[@olepreacher]

3 years ago huh??.....I still want to know what kind of guitar that is behind you???

[@ryanjapan3113]

(Not) fun fact, Verschuer was a founding member of the journal mankind quarterly, which was founded (in 1960) by others including Henry Garrett (an American segregationist who testified in favor of segregated schools in the Virginia Case (which was combined into the Brown vs Board of Education case), Corrado Gini (an Italian fascist who in 1934 became president of the Italian Genetics and Eugenics Society), and was funded by the Pioneer Fund’s Wickliffe Draper (A pro eugenics millionaire, who set it up in 1937 along with Harry H. Laughlin, who was an American Eugenicist who wrote a model Eugenical sterilization law that 18 states adopted, as so did nazi Germany in 1933 (which I was told was slightly more moderate that Laughlin’s model law.) The Pioneer Fund and Mankind Quarterly continued fund and provide research for pro eugenics publications (such as when 17 contributors (ten of which were editors) were cited in the Bell Curve, among them were late head of the pioneer fund and author of the book Race, Evolution, and Crime, J, Philippe Ruston (who was head from 2002 to his death in 2012) and important one is the current (Yes, Current!) head of both the pioneer fund and Editor in Chief of Mankind Quarterly, Richard Lynn. If you want to know more (or my summary is too confusing) and you have 2 hours and 40 minutes to spare, check out this video: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3PGaKR4iJaIoNE

[@Elsneakakaze]

We use or used to use (successfully) eugenics on literally everything that isnt human.

[@TimeGhost]

If you call creating a bunch of house animal breeds that are not genetically viable, but instead prone to hereditary disease and physically disabled from functioning normally successful, then yes. But seriously though: that's not quite right, breeding based on traits only works well with animals and plants with relatively short maturation periods and a high dimorphism. Humans take a dozen years or so to reach sexual maturity and our dimorphism is extremely narrow.

[@Elsneakakaze]

no i was referring to horses, livestock, specialized service dogs and every crop. Sure humanity takes a while to mature but as the old saying goes, the best time to plant your eugenicist orchard was 20 years ago.

[@TimeGhost]

Elsneakakaze you’re forgetting low dimorphism. Also human genome is so complex and such a large part of it has to do with our brains rather than physical traits that we still haven’t worked out a way to predict what comes out when two people mix up their genes.

[@TimeGhost]

Elsneakakaze oh and then there’s litter size - one offspring at a time makes for little to chose from.

[@TimeGhost]

But all of that ignores one fundamental difference between us and other animals - individual and collective power to resist and our urge to free choice. It’s easy to grab a stallion, milk him and then grab a mare and insert the spermatozoa - we come up with all kinds of shit to resist that sort of thing... including all out global war.

[@keesdevries9484]

You mentioned in your video that "...a lot of people aren't sold on the modified foods [...]" and subsequently move Verschuer up a bit on the evil-scale. As a biologist that really scares me. GMO foods are indispensable if we are to keep the world population fed. They can be important in combatting both malnutrition in the third world and preventable diseases stemming from vitamin deficiencies. That while arguments against GMO's are meager at best. Dismissing GMO's based on either principle or fear seems to me an evil.

[@mmartinez9764]

The explanation of habitilation section, is that known as the "camera eye"? Just curious. Great vid btw

[@omikl]

Nice Burns Flyte

[@stephend50]

If you're Joseph Mengelet's boss, you're kind of a Dick..... That made me laugh

[@alloskyben752]

I have a few suggestions for the next episodes : Chiang Kai-shek, Winston Churchill, Napoleon, Che Guevara, Woodrow Wilson, Charles Manson and Jeffrey Dahmer

[@victimofharassment7435]

Thanks

[@aquilarossa5191]

What is that guitar? Can't find one like it searching google images

[@brymht]

Ahhh, Sandman by Gaiman. Good stuff.

[@sully66699]

Can you do one on isreal pliner? or any high ranking soviet that was involved with the secret police and/or gulags

[@nightspawnson-of-luna4936]

Question, As someone oposed to Competetive pokemon, Would you say IV breeding is a promotion of Eugenics?

[@bend1483]

Is that JCVD on a cushion?

[@servinglooks247]

Indiana Neidell Why 3? So they dont get lonely?

[@jagapatto]

What is the make of that guitar? That's really unusual.

[@kremepye3613]

How did this guy avoid the hangman

[@nymalous3428]

4:10 I've met relatives of Lou Ferrigno (he played the Hulk). I've never liked eugenics, but I've found miscegenation to be interesting (though not forced miscegenation). In general, I've liked to study how different people groups come together and form new people groups.

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

Habilitation is the thesis you have to hand in for a professorship in much the same way you write a dissertation for a doctorate.

[@troy9477]

I need to know what guitar that is, and whose face is on the cushion. I don't recognize him. Henry Ford was reputedly a big believer in eugenics, and of course an admirer of the Nazis, at least in the early days. Let's face it, many titans of industry are dicks. First vid i've seen of this series. I am sure i will like it. Go get em, Indy.

[@emirvmendoza]

Waiting for this guy to appear in World War 2 in real time

[@WildBillCox13]

I had a copy of the hardbound book published by the National Eugenics Council (in 1936, I think). It was, to put it mildly, pure pinhead poop. The whole episode was a few very rich guys trying to legitimize hate, so they could employ people of color to do menial and dangerous jobs at slave wages. Ef them and their whole rotten 'white folks are the only folks" bullshit*. "If the someone offers his or her hand to pull me out from under a burning wreck, a river, or shows me other significant mercy, I will forever call the possessor of that hand my brother or sister . . . and my friend." --William "Wild Bill" Cox.

[@WildBillCox13]

All it takes is a DNA ancestry test to show racists the truth. Naturally, if they're idiots, they won't believe the truth.

[@galloe8933]

49 people think the Navi ( I meant to say "Nasi" so I edited this and thought: Yeah sterilize that stupid fairy! Link listen! Link listen, they cut my fairy bells!" seemed right so I left it in but that did more good than bad so I left it in and that's why I edited this. Love your channel so I subbed like three days ago!) bad and should be sterilized, am I right?

[@Acewalled]

Genetic research is to science what Eugenics is to engineering...

[@CaptainHarlock-kv4zt]

And the Oscar goes to ...

[@SensaiRyu]

I'm sorry I couldn't pay attention I was too distracted by Jean-Claude in the bottom left corner

[@JamesTobiasStewart]

Comment for the algorithm. Behold my engagement.

[@martinsebok3388]

That pillow 🤣

[@stevequinn6793]

Absolutely horrifying.

[@americana_incarnate1717]

And the golden age of segregation could begin! Me: yay...

[@rotempeer-raviv4859]

My only objection is the use of Beethoven's Ode To Joy in the introduction of this dick.. Other than that, well done.

[@truthcrackers]

With Dr's like that I'd hate to see what the master race would do to us mere mortals...

[@Glycenide]

Nazi schamzi.....whatever. What is that sweet looking axe hanging on the wall?

[@richardzippler3330]

Well animal husbandry is proven. But you need a genetic diversity to really accomplish it. And what you get, I don't know whether that be called The Superior human. It's just what you think a superior human should be.

[@andresmartinezramos7513]

When you are talking about Habilitation, you wrote Habitilation

[@TimeGhost]

Yes... there was a typo there that slipped the controls - sorry.

[@andresmartinezramos7513]

TimeGhost No need to apologise

[@anihtgenga4096]

Of course EUGEN Fischer would promote EUGENics!

[@arti8719]

V is for Vendée - Jean Baptiste Carrier

[@saule_8008]

Is it scary with livestock?

[@decem_sagittae]

Is that a Jean Claude van Damme pillow?

[@MrAmptech]

Burn's Flyte!

[@stenrod2383]

Man, this series is turning dark...

[@TimeGhost]

F will be lighter - a little 18th century adventure romp, complete with romance, deceit, and stolen diamonds.

[@fredbeard7710]

Funded by Rockefeller, hmmmm...

[@DAndyLord]

I think it's totally possible to "improve" the "human race" with eugenics. It really depends on how you define "improve" and "human race". Horrible people have defined both in terrible ways.

[@od1452]

I confess I like this series so far.. But it occurs to me in all this talk of ww2.... the betrayal, the destruction chaos and death ... maybe we should try to find good. I don't mean Saints that did the right thing.. just normal people ( not perfect) who decided they could do some good and did it. Maybe that's who we should remember.

[@eddied.5156]

This was interesting how this scumbag got off nearly scot-free but I think what can be done on the history of eugenics and how pervasive and idea it was. Maybe something about GK Chesterton's Eugenics and Other Evils

[@conordonohoe1616]

eammon de valera

[@zeanamush]

Nixon, Jackson, or Wilson for P for President

[@Djentle-Rain]

is that a jean claud van dam pillow?!

[@Djentle-Rain]

@@indiananeidell9186 I almost died when I saw the pillow too great!!! keep up the great content!! I look forward to more great content

[@Djentle-Rain]

@@indiananeidell9186 can't wait! Your all doing a great job at actual education! For now I must wait weekly for WWII since I binge watched the great war and between two wars :P when I get the chance I'll be jumping on the Patreon bandwagon since I knew YT isn't monetizing anything you guys post!

[@idcb6718]

the USA made deal with him

[@PavelNKHV]

Or may be Pol Pot and the dark times of Kampuchia

[@charlescrowell4981]

They always breed the best buck to the best bitch on the plantation. One of the best was a freed blackman in North Carolina.

[@theneonpogodancer608]

theres a whole lot of *yikes* going on in this episode

[@plappergei9469]

Although you looked Habilitation up, you didn't quite succeed writing it... but that is totally unimportant since you researched everything so well. You could have talked about Francis Galton a littlebit though. But that's not really needed too.

[@TimeGhost]

Thank you, sorry about the typo. Adding Galton would have exploded the length, Indy tries to keep this under 1,800 words.

[@pieceofschmidtgames6389]

Rip all the children all of the 50k orphans in California given vasectomies could have had.

[@henriknilsson7730]

Check out the Swedish eugenics program, quite "impressive" lol.

[@IndianaJoneFan24]

Woodrow Wilson. He was a racist, he resegregated government positions, he screened Birth of a Nation at the White House (Incidentally, the first movie to be screened at the White House), and he got us involved in a war we had no business being in.

[@kissfan7]

I just want to defend eugenics for a second*. While white supremacy and eugenics are very VERY closely linked, the Venn diagram is not a perfect circle.** Sadly WEB DuBois was also a supporter, as were some white civil rights allies. A LOT of otherwise cool people got mixed up in eugenics when it was fashionable. *Normally you should run far away if anyone says something like this, but please keep reading. I promise I get better. **Apologies to Maynard James Keenan if I accidently made people connect your second best band with this topic.

[@benjaminmaxwell9025]

How about John Wilkes Booth

[@TimeGhost]

Noted

[@augustopinochet2495]

Was he that bad though? I mean, compared to some to the people on this list so far I don't think he'd qualify.

[@benjaminmaxwell9025]

Hans von shicklegruber I don’t know the world dicKtionary will have to determine that.

[@Legitpenguins99]

I really miss this serious. Which they would bring it back

[@TimeGhost]

We will try to as soon as we have some breathing space!

[@mqcapps]

Julius ceasar

[@mrb3nz]

Henry VIII