It didn't cheat its customers. It made an engine that would intelligently determine whether or not it was in test mode. It did this to comply with the tyrannical bullshit our governments want to inflict on everyone.
The actual emissions levels when not in test mode are TINY...you don't even know cars are DIESELS anymore. The absurdity of human causation of Global Warming (OOOP...that isn't happening) now we call it Climate Change, is designed to control the masses. Screw them.
Go VW! This planet is 4.55 BILLION years old. 95% of all the species that ever existed (probably higher) have gone EXTINCT.
The planet is going to be JUST FINE.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.