Even Einstein Couldn't Do It...

I recently completed Walter Isaacson's Einstein : His Life and Universe and I found it to be quite an interesting book. It dispelled some of the misconceptions that I had about his involvement in the development of the atomic bomb among many other things.

Einstein was once an adamant and outspoken pacifist. For example in 1930 he gave a speech in New York city that called for an "uncompromising war resistance and refusal to do military service under any circumstances." He issued what became a "famous call for a brave 2 percent:"

"The timid might say, "What's the use? We shall be sent to prison." To them I would reply: Even if only 2% of those assigned military service should announce their refusal to fight... governments would be powerless, they would not dare send such a large number of people to jail."

Later as Hitler rose to power Einstein changed his position about military service and encouraged nations to mount a military defense against Germany, but one might look at the draft resistance and anti-war protests during the Viet Nam war as evidence that 2% was at one time effective.

Einstein was not part of the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb, J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI had an extensive file on him and it is most likely that he would not have been granted a security clearance though for no good reason.

In 1932 Einstein was involved in an exchange of letters with Sigmund Freud about war and politics.

Einstein advocated for "an international or "supranational" entity that would transcend the chaos of national sovereignty by imposing the resolution of disputes." This advocacy only became stronger with the development of atomic weapons. Einstein asked Freud - given that humans have within them "lust for hatred and destruction" that leaders can manipulate to stir up militaristic passions - "is it possible to control man's mental evolution so as to make him secure against the psychosis of hate and destructiveness?"

Isaacson characterizes Freud's response as "bleak." Freud replies to Einstein with this ditty - "You surmise that man has in him an active instinct for hatred and destruction, I entirely agree."

So what's changed since 1932?

Einstein was also opposed to the blatant greed and consumption of unregulated capitalism. He supported a version of socialism that would retain individual freedoms but check the greed of corporations and capitalists. This article "Why Socialism?" was reprinted as recently as 1998.

He spent his last 20 years doggedly pursuing his unified theory but was unable to solve this riddle - Isaacson called it Einstein's "white whale."

Over the same time frame he worked publicly and vocally in an unpopular crusade to raise his fellow human beings above the level of beasts - "People acquiesce without resistance and align themselves with the forces of evil."

Even Einstein couldn't persuade us to do otherwise.

Recommended reading...

The intrepid journalist, Bill Moyers, has called upon his viewers to send him a suggestion about what one book - other than the Bible - they would recommend that the soon to be elected new President should take with them to the White House. This was prompted by a question to the candidates from CBS News anchor Katie Couric. Jeez - where does one begin...

The sad fact is that the insurance and media conglomerate have succeeded in silencing all of the candidates voicing any real opposition to their profitable domination and have winnowed the field to the candidates that are acceptable to them - America's real religions. So... all of the remaining candidates could be defined as corporatists. So let's start there and I'll offer them a choice - one of the best overall is by David Korten - When Corporations Rule The World, less scholarly but more recent and an insider portrayal of Congressional activities is David Sirota's Hostile Takeover. Both of these books point out how long the road to recovery and rule by the people will be - not that we will emerge with any candidate that will challenge the rich and powerful.