Einstein’s ideas on war stand the test of time
“War cannot be humanized. It can only be abolished.” How can we accomplish what Albert Einstein said in 1932? This quotation is currently posted on billboards on Central Avenue in Albany and on Erie Boulevard in Schenectady (as pictured in the Capital Region section on Sept. 9).
We could heed Einstein’s explanation: “One does not make wars less likely by formulating rules of warfare.”
The bombing of Yemen by Saudi Arabia using U.S. weapons is unalterably unacceptable. Congress must vote to stop our involvement.
As Einstein knew only too well, “To have security against atomic bombs and against other biological weapons, we have to prevent war. For if we cannot prevent war, every nation will use every means at their disposal, and in spite of all promises they make, they will do it.” This frightening prediction applies not only to North Korea but also to the United States.
He recognized that “You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war.” Congress could redirect a large portion of the $716 billion for the military in next year’s budget into domestic issues such as health care, education and infrastructure as well as into global diplomacy and help for refugees.
In a still-relevant reference to “the present depressing situation,” Einstein lamented that “the handful of those who are really determined to do something is minute in comparison with the mass of the lukewarm and misguided.”
We should all consider joining the Grannies for Peace when they display signs proclaiming “End Endless War” in front of Colonie Center on Wolf Road from 5 to 6 p.m. on International Peace Day, Sept. 21. Catherine Cavanaugh Albany