Did Einstein Say "Great, Great Freedom Existed in America"?

[Pengwuino]

"I came to America because of the great, great freedom which I heard existed in this country. I made a mistake in selecting America as a land of freedom, a mistake I cannot repair in the balance of my life."

I wonder because with all the anti-American people I've known, i have yet to hear this one come up.

 

[Mk]

lol, no way! Besides, Einstein would be greatful for pretty much anywhere else than Nazi Germany, him from a Jewish family
.

 

[Pengwuino]

If that's the case, where did it come from? Seems to show up a few times on the internetamabob.

 

[Chi Meson]

Yeah, that's odd. Because we all know that no one will ever make things up and post it on the net as a fact! (I can't find the "ironic sarcasm" smiley).

I've read several books on Al over the past two decades; this statement is unknown to me. It runs counter to his general sentiment regarding this country that is conveyed through MANY more first-hand sources. He evidently didn't like the town of Princeton too much, and he certainly thought that the classes he was required to teach were wasting his time, but it is clear that he enjoyed himself for most of his duration in the US. It is also highly probable that there was no other country in which he would have done better at that point in history. (referring specifically to during and immediately after WWII).

 

[Evo]

I've read a lot about Einstein and read collections of his letters and have never seen this. I say it's bogus.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I googled it and found it cited in so many places that I cannot believe is it bogus. However, I can't find any context or the exact source, so I can't make out exactly what he meant. I had read a letter he wrote complaining that members of higher society in Princeton exercised less freedom than their counterparts in Europe. Perhaps he felt that way about America in general.

The citations indicate that he said it in 1947, so the comparison to Nazi Germany is not relavent. Also, in 1947 he was 8 years away from his death. It seems that if he really felt cramped here, he could have left.

 

[eNathan]

I can't imagine Einstine, having come from nazi germany, would bring his new found country of fredem (America) to that level. America is not perfect, even he knew that, but to say we are not free is perposturous. And to say it was a mistake is to say that Einstine did not appretiate his fredem to conduct his theoretical work without the interuption of government or fear of government. What I am saying is that Esintine may have never made a "Thoery of relativity" if he had not moved to America.

 

[cronxeh]

I can't imagine Einstine, having come from nazi germany, would bring his new found country of fredem (America) to that level. America is not perfect, even he knew that, but to say we are not free is perposturous. And to say it was a mistake is to say that Einstine did not appretiate his fredem to conduct his theoretical work without the interuption of government or fear of government. What I am saying is that Esintine may have never made a "Thoery of relativity" if he had not moved to America.

reaaaaaalllyy?


in 1905 Einstein lived in Bern, Switzerland (he worked there at a patent office from February 1902 till October 1909). He published his Special Theory of relativity in 1905.

He published General Relativity in 1916.

He moved to Princeton, NJ, USA in 1933

 

[eNathan]

reaaaaaalllyy?


in 1905 Einstein lived in Bern, Switzerland (he worked there at a patent office from February 1902 till October 1909). He published his Special Theory of relativity in 1905.

He published General Relativity in 1916.

He moved to Princeton, NJ, USA in 1933

So your saying he developed his theory in Bern?

 

[Chi Meson]

reaaaaaalllyy?

OOOH! (sucks through teeth) I cringed when I read that! Go easy on the guy, eh cronxeh? I'm sure he meant well.

 

[cronxeh]

So your saying he developed his theory in Bern?

Exactamundo

 

[Chi Meson]

So your saying he developed his theory in Bern?

Um. Yes. Have you noticed the celebration that this year is the celebration of Einstein's publication of: the Photelectric Effect, Brownian Motion, and Special Relativity. All completed while he was a patent clerk in, (da da-da-daa) BERN! General Relativity was pretty much fleshed out by, what was it 1913?

 

[cronxeh]

"I came to America because of the great, great freedom which I heard existed in this country. I made a mistake in selecting America as a land of freedom, a mistake I cannot repair in the balance of my life."

I wonder because with all the anti-American people I've known, i have yet to hear this one come up.

This quote might be true

Einstein wasnt a big fan of the United States - and he had no reason to be one.

 

[Burnsys]

This quote might be true

Einstein wasnt a big fan of the United States - and he had no reason to be one.

maybe he said that when he found his idea was used to kill 100.000 civilians... (just guessing)

 

[Chi Meson]

maybe he said that when he found his idea was used to kill 100.000 civilians... (just guessing)

That would dampen MY spirits somewhat.

 

[SpaceTiger]

He evidently didn't like the town of Princeton too much

Many of us Americans share that sentiment.

 

[Bladibla]

Many of us Americans share that sentiment.

So why don't you like it?

 

[zoobyshoe]

maybe he said that when he found his idea was used to kill 100.000 civilians... (just guessing)

Einstein got the ball rolling on the bomb. Some physicists approached him and said they had reason to believe that the Nazis had put two and two together and were working on one. They needed Einstein's juice as the most famous scientist in the world to get this info to Roosevelt. Einstein wrote him a letter, which Roosevelt recieved, which eventually lead to the Los Alamos project.

A German physicist I saw interviewed on one WWII program or another said that, yes, the idea of a nuclear weapon was spoken about quietly among physicists occasionally in Germany, but no one would have dared to mention it to the Nazis because they would have been ordered to come up with a working bomb and given a deadline to do it. No one wanted to risk working on something like that without knowing if they could meet the deadline, or if it were actually possible.

There is an interesting anecdote about Einstein (while still in Europe), which is that he was once approached by a young polish student who proclaimed he wanted to use Einsteins ideas to make a bomb from radioactive minerals. Einstein dismissed him saying it was not a practical possibility.

 

[SpaceTiger]

So why don't you like it?

For starters, everyone is rich and uptight, so despite a liberal backbone, actual tolerance is not particularly high. To top things off, the town-folk hate the university (it takes much of their land and does little for business), so I don't get treated well by local law enforcement.

 

[Bladibla]

For starters, everyone is rich and uptight, so despite a liberal backbone, actual tolerance is not particularly high. To top things off, the town-folk hate the university (it takes much of their land and does little for business), so I don't get treated well by local law enforcement.

I hope you didn't misunderstand my 'smilies' as to annoy you. I apologize if i did give you that impression.

I never thought townsfolk of princeton would be so full of hatred against the university.

 

[kaos]

maybe he said that when he found his idea was used to kill 100.000 civilians... (just guessing)

If u are referring tp the atom bomb, einstein didnt really object.In fact he wrote a letter to the president recommending that the US try to develop the idea. This is because he didn't want the nazis to get it first.He also felt that it would make war so abhorent that it wouldn't happen in the future"so much for that idea..."

 

[Bladibla]

If u are referring tp the atom bomb, einstein didnt really object.In fact he wrote a letter to the president recommending that the US try to develop the idea. This is because he didn't want the nazis to get it first.He also felt that it would make war so abhorent that it wouldn't happen in the future"so much for that idea..."

..And i believe he wrote another letter regretting his decision of sending the previous letter (with convining from Szilard).

 

[Pengwuino]

If u are referring tp the atom bomb, einstein didnt really object.In fact he wrote a letter to the president recommending that the US try to develop the idea. This is because he didn't want the nazis to get it first.He also felt that it would make war so abhorent that it wouldn't happen in the future"so much for that idea..."

He told FDR to make the bomb because he was told that the Germans were making the bomb and knew they would use it at a moments notice. He wanted us to have it incase Germany used it so we could retaliate and only as a retaliatory weapon. Once Germany fell and we were nearing completion on the bomb, I think that's when he wrote hte letter saying he wished the project would not continue seeing as how Germany had been defeated.

But thankfully it was used and Japan surrendered and the 2 million US and japanese lives expected to be lost during the planned invasion weren't lost and Japan grew into what it is today instead of the Soviet Union coming in and setting up a eastern version of the divided germany. 300,000 dead in exchange for a few million dead and a most likely devastating occupation.

So are we all rather agreed on the idea that Einstein most likely didnt say that quote?

 

[SpaceTiger]

I hope you didn't misunderstand my 'smilies' as to annoy you. I apologize if i did give you that impression.

No, not at all.

I never thought townsfolk of princeton would be so full of hatred against the university.

Well, I'm sure I exaggerate a bit.

 

[cronxeh]

He told FDR to make the bomb because he was told that the Germans were making the bomb and knew they would use it at a moments notice. He wanted us to have it incase Germany used it so we could retaliate and only as a retaliatory weapon. Once Germany fell and we were nearing completion on the bomb, I think that's when he wrote hte letter saying he wished the project would not continue seeing as how Germany had been defeated.

But thankfully it was used and Japan surrendered and the 2 million US and japanese lives expected to be lost during the planned invasion weren't lost and Japan grew into what it is today instead of the Soviet Union coming in and setting up a eastern version of the divided germany. 300,000 dead in exchange for a few million dead and a most likely devastating occupation.

So are we all rather agreed on the idea that Einstein most likely didnt say that quote?

I don't see your logic here

Einstein was for an international peace - it didnt matter if you killed 'less' people - you still killed people.

 

[Pengwuino]

No I am not saying he advocated for it, he was very against its use but noted that if Germany used it, the allies would be justified in retaliating with the same weapon against Germany.

I don't want to get into this argument, far more interested in that quote of his.

 

[stoned]

maybe he said that when he found his idea was used to kill 100.000 civilians... (just guessing)

Exactly ! , when he realized that americans killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people with nuclear bombs who would not say that??

 

[selfAdjoint]

Exactly ! , when he realized that americans killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people with nuclear bombs who would not say that??

Umm, one of the soldiers who were gathered for the invasion of the Japanese home islands?

 

[Pengwuino]

no stop stop, quote lol. I am still not sure if there's a consensus as to whether that quote is fake or not or completely out of ocntext or modified or what.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I have also read that Einstein said that Physics Forums rock! I think I saw it on Integral's T Shirt.

I am with the nay crowd. I collect quotes for fun and have read many from E but never saw the one mentioned here.