On This Day; 1955, Albert Einstein dies

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

Albert Einstein died in hospital in Princeton, New Jersey, aged 76.
The eminent scientist and originator of the theory of relativity was admitted to hospital three days earlier with an internal complaint.

In a statement issued following the scientist's death, US President Dwight Eisenhower said: "No other man contributed so much to the vast expansion of the 20th century knowledge.
"Yet no other man was more modest in the possession of the power that is knowledge, more sure that power without wisdom is deadly. "To all who live in the nuclear age, Albert Einstein exemplified the mighty creative ability of the individual in a free society."

(BBC History)

Thoughts on Einstein? He supported socialism (though not sure which 'ism' specifically, mentioned the idea of a planned economy under public ownership). Also, according to wiki, -

Einstein publicly stated reservations about the proposal to partition the British Mandate of Palestine into independent Arab and Jewish countries. In a 1938 speech, "Our Debt to Zionism", he said: "I should much rather see reasonable agreement with the Arabs on the basis of living together in peace than the creation of a Jewish state. My awareness of the essential nature of Judaism resists the idea of a Jewish state with borders, an army, and a measure of temporal power, no matter how modest. I am afraid of the inner damage Judaism will sustain—especially from the development of a narrow nationalism within our own ranks, against which we have already had to fight strongly, even without a Jewish state. ... If external necessity should after all compel us to assume this burden, let us bear it with tact and patience."

[Starship Stormtrooper]

His article Why Socialism is a pretty good read, so there's that. His gargantuan FBI files likewise show that he at least greatly worried the political establishment. Also, the fact that he was a socialist is the best response ever to that Winston Churchill quote that asserts socialism is stupid and only appeals to the stupid masses :laugh:.

Overall, pretty awesome!

[Fourth Internationalist]

9103

[Delenda Carthago]

Mod Action: Videos wrapped in Spoiler Tags.

boNKRb-aNnM

h5noUKDuenE

[Comrade #138672]

His article Why Socialism is a pretty good read, so there's that. His gargantuan FBI files likewise show that he at least greatly worried the political establishment. Also, the fact that he was a socialist is the best response ever to that Winston Churchill quote that asserts socialism is stupid and only appeals to the stupid masses :laugh:.

Overall, pretty awesome!It was one of the first serious articles about Socialism I had read. It was very inspirational.

Still, I wonder why I can't find more about Socialism from him than that famous article.

[Brutus]

The economic anarchy of capitalism is the real source of evil

[Starship Stormtrooper]

It was one of the first serious articles about Socialism I had read. It was very inspirational.

Still, I wonder why I can't find more about Socialism from him than that famous article.


I looked on the wikipedia article about his politics and couldn't find anything either, though I did find out that he was influential in opposing McCarthy, was a NAACP member etc. So no idea why he didn't write more about it than a couple of articles :confused:.

[Zealot]

From his FBI file (http://vault.fbi.gov/Albert%20Einstein/Albert%20Einstein%20Part%201%20of%2014/view):

And who is the acknowledged world leader, who, by direct affiliation with Communist and anarcho-communist organizations and groups, and by his own utmost personal efforts, is doing most to "shatter" the "military machinery" for the defense of the existence of governments, which "shattering" is the "preliminary condition of any people's Revolution" according to Marx, and "the principal teaching of Marxism" on the subject, according to Lenin!

ALBERT EINSTEIN is that leader. Not even Stalin himself is affiliated with so many anarcho-communist international groups to promote this "preliminary condition" of world revolution and ultimate anarchy, as ALBERT EINSTEIN.

Neither is Albert Einstein subject to exclusion by reason of his frequently revised theory of "relativity" which, even if true, is of no more practical importance than the answer to the old academic riddle, "how many angels can stand on the point of a needle if angels do not occupy space."

[goalkeeper]

I'd be more surprised if Einstein wasn't a socialist of sorts in the 1950s; i mean, who wasn't, or at least who didnt say socialism/the planned economy was the order of the day?

[TheGodlessUtopian]

I'd be more surprised if Einstein wasn't a socialist of sorts in the 1950s; i mean, who wasn't, or at least who didnt say socialism/the planned economy was the order of the day?

Einstein never called a planned economy socialism:


I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate these grave evils, namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals. In such an economy, the means of production are owned by society itself and are utilized in a planned fashion. A planned economy, which adjusts production to the needs of the community, would distribute the work to be done among all those able to work and would guarantee a livelihood to every man, woman, and child. The education of the individual, in addition to promoting his own innate abilities, would attempt to develop in him a sense of responsibility for his fellow men in place of the glorification of power and success in our present society.


Nevertheless, it is necessary to remember that a planned economy is not yet socialism. A planned economy as such may be accompanied by the complete enslavement of the individual. The achievement of socialism requires the solution of some extremely difficult socio-political problems: how is it possible, in view of the far-reaching centralization of political and economic power, to prevent bureaucracy from becoming all-powerful and overweening? How can the rights of the individual be protected and therewith a democratic counterweight to the power of bureaucracy be assured?

Source: "Why Socialism?"

(Bold mine)

[Delenda Carthago]

http://recordinglivefromsomewhere.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/tumblr_ljaifg9ml71qabj53o1_500.jpg


dem commiez...