Albert Einstein The Atlantic Monthly Nov 1945; Vol. 176, Iss. 000005; pg. 45, 3 pgs
What does Einstein mean by this statement?
What are it's implications?
Can you think of contrasting opinions?
Important to remember historical context of statement
On August 6 and 9, 1945, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by the first atomic bombs used in warfare
The surrender of Germany occurred in May, 1945
World's horror at the holocaust
General belief that nationalism caused WWI and WWII
Einstein's belief that safety lay in supranational government. see Einstein's Article on War and Multinationalism Atlantic Monthly 1947
Einstein believed that racism, capitalism and nationalism had brought about the horrors of the holocaust and WWII. He saw the solution to the horrors of war in socialism and supranationalism. See Why Socialism
An interesting exchange of letters between Einstein and Freud on War is at Correspondence between Einstein and Freud on war
Contrast the quote with the current Bush doctrine of US unilateralism and selective pre-emptive war against any country the US decides to take out you can search the right wing literature.
one source
William Kristol is editor of the conservative magazine, The Weekly
Standard. He also chairs the neo-conservative think tank, Project for the
New American Century. He is one of the architects of the blueprint for
regime change found in the document "Rebuilding America's Defenses:
Strategies, Forces and Resources for a New Century." here is a link to his
website http://www.newamericancentury.org/
Here is of the 90 page document Rebuilding America's Resources
http://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf
You might also look for stuff from Condaleeza Rice, Richard Pearle, Paul Wolfowitz,
To get a more nuanced assessment of the implications of the Bush Doctrine you'll need to search the moderate or left wing literature. I recommend an article by Leon Fuerth national security adviser to former vice president Al Gore
I do not believe that civilization will be wiped out in
a war fought with the atomic bomb. Perhaps two-thirds of the people of the Earth might be killed,
but enough men capable of thinking, and enough books, would be left to start again, and civilization
could be restored.
{Atlantic Monthly, Nov. 1945}
Since I do not foresee that atomic energy is to be a
great boon for a long time, I have to say that for the present it is a menace. Perhaps it is well
that it should be. It may intimidate the human race into bringing order into its internation
affairs, which, without the presence of fear, it would not do.
{Atlantic Monthly, Nov. 1945}
And yet so high, in spite of everything, is my opinion
of the human race that I believe this bogey [War] would have disappeared long ago, had the sound
sense of the nations not been systematically corrupted by commercial and political interests acting
through the schools and the Press.
{The World As I See It, in The World As I See It, 1949}
Innumerable voices have been asserting for some time now
that human society is passing through a crisis, that its stability has been gravely shattered. It is
characteristic of such a situation that individuals feel indifferent or even hostile toward the
group, small or large, to which they belong. In order to illustrate my meaning, let me record here a
personal experience. I recently discussed with an intelligent and well-disposed man the threat of
another war, which in my opinion would seriously endanger the existence of mankind, and I remarked
that only a supranational organization would offer protection from that danger. Thereupon my
visitor, very calmly and coolly, said to me: "Why are you so deeply opposed to the
disappearance of the human race?"
{Why Socialism? In Monthly
Review, 1949}
The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything
save our modes of thinking, and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophes.
{Quoted by Ralph Lapp in The Einstein Letter That Started it All, in the New York Times,
Aug. 2, 1964}
Our defense is not in our armaments, nor in our science,
nor in going underground. Our defense is in law and order.
{Quoted by Ralph Lapp in The Einstein Letter That Started it All, in the New York Times,
Aug. 2, 1964}
[Racism] is the worst disease from which the society of
our nation suffers.
{New York Times, Sept. 25, 1946}
"A permanent peace cannot be prepared by threats but only by the honest attempt to create a mutual trust. However strong national armaments may be, they do not create military security for any nation nor do they guarantee the maintenance of peace." — Albert Einstein
"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding." — Albert Einstein
"I know not with what weapons World War III will be
fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." — Albert
Einstein
"General fear and anxiety create hatred and aggressiveness. The adaptation to warlike aims and activities has corrupted the mentality of man; as a result, intelligent, objective and humane thinking has hardly any effect and is even suspected and persecuted as unpatriotic." — Albert Einstein
"I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent." — Mohandas Gandhi
"What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?" — Mohandas Gandhi
"Statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception." — Mark Twain
Why of course the people don't want war... but after
all, it is the leaders
of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to
drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, a
parliament or a communist dictatorship... voice or no voice, the people can
always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you
have to do is to tell them they are being attacked and denounce the
pacifists for lack of patriotism and for exposing the country to danger.
Herman Göering, Nazi leader at the Nuremburg trials after WWII
The American Empire
Al Qaeda’s goal always has been to unify the Islamic world under an Islamic government—to
create, in effect, an Islamic empire that is ready to both protect the interests of the Islamic
world and to expand Islamic influence. It is doubtful that al Qaeda will achieve this goal. Indeed,
al Qaeda’s actions will, contrary to its intentions or expectations, generate the exact opposite
effect -- the creation of an American empire.
Davos, Multilateralism and the Crisis of the Alliance
"Multilateralism" was the main theme at the annual meeting of the World Economic
Forum, recently concluded in Davos. For European states, the first half of the 20th century was a
time of unprecedented savagery. In European minds, the culprit was nationalism -- or, more
precisely, the unilateral pursuit of national interest. Multilateralism -- the creation of
multinational institutions and a multinational mode of thought -- is the Europeans' response to
their history. It has become a moral category. The United States, however, has a very different
history and a very different set of fears. The United States has no historical reason for fearing
its own nationalism, but it does have reason to fear inaction. The U.S. need to deal with Islamic
radicalism collides with the European fear that the shattering of multilateralism once again will
release the demons of nationalism.
Article on War and Multinationalism Atlantic Monthly 1947
Correspondence between Einstein and Freud on war
War, Conflict and Progress Modern History Sourcebook
eclectic quotes from Albert Einstein
http://homepage1.nifty.com/senior-u/war.htm