Here is a rare recordÂing of Albert EinÂstein readÂing his speech on the immeÂdiÂate afterÂmath of World War II, “The War is Won, But the Peace is Not”:
The speech was delivÂered on DecemÂber 10, 1945, at the Fifth Nobel AnniverÂsary DinÂner at the Hotel Astor in New York. Only four months earÂliÂer, the UnitÂed States had dropped atomÂic bombs on civilÂian popÂuÂlaÂtions in the JapanÂese cities of HiroshiÂma and NagasaÂki. EinÂstein didÂn’t work on the atomÂic bomb, but in 1939 he had signed a letÂter to PresÂiÂdent Franklin D. RooÂsevelt urgÂing him to proÂcure uraÂniÂum and accelÂerÂate nuclear research. In his speech, EinÂstein draws a comÂparÂiÂson between conÂtemÂpoÂrary physiÂcists and the founder of the Nobel Prize, who inventÂed dynaÂmite.
PhysiÂcists find themÂselves in a posiÂtion not unlike that of Alfred Nobel himÂself. Alfred Nobel inventÂed the most powÂerÂful exploÂsive ever known up to his time, a means of destrucÂtion par excelÂlence. In order to atone for this, in order to relieve his human conÂscience, he instiÂtutÂed his awards for the proÂmoÂtion of peace and for achieveÂments of peace. Today, the physiÂcists who parÂticÂiÂpatÂed in forgÂing the most forÂmiÂdaÂble and danÂgerÂous weapon of all times are harassed by an equal feelÂing of responÂsiÂbilÂiÂty, not to say guilt. And we canÂnot desist from warnÂing, and warnÂing again, we canÂnot and should not slackÂen in our efforts to make the nations of the world, and espeÂcialÂly their govÂernÂments, aware of the unspeakÂable disÂasÂter they are cerÂtain to proÂvoke unless they change their attiÂtude toward each othÂer and toward the task of shapÂing the future.
But EinÂstein says he is trouÂbled by what he sees in the months folÂlowÂing World War II.
The war is won, but the peace is not. The great powÂers, unitÂed in fightÂing, are now dividÂed over the peace setÂtleÂments. The world was promised freeÂdom from fear, but in fact fear has increased tremenÂdousÂly since the terÂmiÂnaÂtion of the war. The world was promised freeÂdom from want, but large parts of the world are faced with starÂvaÂtion while othÂers are livÂing in abunÂdance. The nations were promised libÂerÂaÂtion and jusÂtice. But we have witÂnessed, and are witÂnessÂing even now, the sad specÂtaÂcle of “libÂerÂatÂing” armies firÂing into popÂuÂlaÂtions who want their indeÂpenÂdence and social equalÂiÂty, and supÂportÂing in those counÂtries, by force of arms, such parÂties and perÂsonÂalÂiÂties as appear to be most suitÂed to serve vestÂed interÂests. TerÂriÂtoÂrÂiÂal quesÂtions and arguÂments of powÂer, obsoÂlete though they are, still preÂvail over the essenÂtial demands of comÂmon welÂfare and jusÂtice.
EinÂstein then goes on to talk about a speÂcifÂic case: the plight of his own peoÂple, the EuroÂpean Jews.
While in Europe terÂriÂtoÂries are being disÂtribÂuted withÂout any qualms about the wishÂes of the peoÂple conÂcerned, the remainÂders of EuroÂpean JewÂry, one-fifth of its preÂwar popÂuÂlaÂtion, are again denied access to their haven in PalesÂtine and left to hunger and cold and perÂsistÂing hosÂtilÂiÂty. There is no counÂtry, even today, that would be willÂing or able to offer them a place where they could live in peace and secuÂriÂty. And the fact that many of them are still kept in the degradÂing conÂdiÂtions of conÂcenÂtraÂtion camps by the Allies gives sufÂfiÂcient eviÂdence of the shameÂfulÂness and hopeÂlessÂness of the sitÂuÂaÂtion.
EinÂstein conÂcludes by callÂing for “a radÂiÂcal change in our whole attiÂtude, in the entire politÂiÂcal conÂcept.” WithÂout doing so, he says, “human civÂiÂlizaÂtion will be doomed.”
Note: The full text of “The War is Won, But the Peace is Not” is availÂable in the EinÂstein antholoÂgies Out of My LatÂer Years and Ideas and OpinÂions.
Evil exists and always has. No “radÂiÂcal change” will eradÂiÂcate it. The best that can be hoped for is that there are enough peoÂple in each genÂerÂaÂtion to stand up to it.
The talk should have remained that of the atomÂic bomb and not be used as a vehiÂcle for othÂer sitÂuÂaÂtions that, still today, need sortÂing out.
The real horÂror of what they creÂatÂed has not been explained by any means sufÂfiÂcientÂly. A Nobel prize is not even a beginÂning of recÂomÂpense for what they did and what we live with today as a conÂstant threat from varÂiÂous sources and prey to the whim of those in powÂer of some sort or othÂer.
The world itself is at risk, the destrucÂtion of this planÂet is in the balÂance and sinÂgle issues are not the topÂic but the all encomÂpassÂing destrucÂtive force that realÂly seems rather inevitable as the world popÂuÂlaÂtions war amongst themÂselves conÂtinÂuÂalÂly and seem unable to live lives and proÂtect themÂselves, othÂers and this planÂet.
Peace is for the wicked, those who rule over othÂers with cloaks adorned. SimÂple men who attempt to gain peace in the world we live in find themÂselves tireÂlessÂly grindÂing the stone into a wee litÂtle pebÂble of truth to toss into the pond of heartache in the end. A simÂple man must find cloÂsure and underÂstandÂing in the fact that peace is for the wicked. In times when the mind wonÂders the vast expansÂes of the human conÂdiÂtion we must accept our curÂrent state, our less than equal valÂue. The simÂple man has the powÂer to find peace withÂin himÂself, but peace in the world; only for the wicked.
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“In times when the mind wonÂders the vast expansÂes of the human conÂdiÂtion we must accept our curÂrent state, our less than equal valÂue. The simÂple man has the powÂer to find peace withÂin himÂself, but peace in the world; only for the wicked.”
We must accept no such thing. I and I are one. There can be nothÂing but equalÂiÂty.
“SimÂple men who attempt to gain peace in the world we live in find themÂselves…”
EinÂstein simÂple?
You’re simÂple. You’re wicked. They’re both just words but this is 2016 and YOU’RE THE ONE! #YOU’RETHEONE2016
If I have to decide between your grim fatalÂism, and EinÂstein’s mesÂsage of, howÂevÂer thin, hope, I have to choose the latÂter. It seems more and more clear that the surÂvival of the race is at stake, and, as a father, espeÂcialÂly, I have to believe there is hope that it will surÂvive. There is nothÂing wicked about that.
True
If you read the whole speech then you will see that the radÂiÂcal change he is talkÂing about is brothÂerÂhood among the peoÂple powÂerÂful enough to conÂtrol the desÂtiny of mankind. Which is basiÂcalÂly an encourÂageÂment of the UnitÂed Nations to be good to each othÂer first and foreÂmost, because if things get bad between the leadÂers of nuclear counÂtries, then good and evil peoÂple might be killed togethÂer by nuclear war.
PeoÂple can stand up to evil, but milÂiÂtaries are not so much about good and evil, they are (defenÂsiveÂly speakÂing) about proÂtectÂing their nation whether or not that nation is mostÂly good or mostÂly evil.
A bomb doesÂn’t care if you are good or evil when it explodes.
Thank you very much