“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.”
-Albert Einstein, “Why Socialism”
Einstein was an American, and a figure of great importance in our history and in the development of modern scientific understanding. Yet, I did not learn about his socialist posture in the United States, or in any American history class. For that matter, I did not learn about in English. I learned about it when I encountered the Spanish translation of the above quote in my Facebook newsfeed. Que jodido. That ´s just fucked.
I have many grievances with the public school system, and this is yet another. I spent years upon years of my life within the hallowed halls of the various schools, where there was (especially in elementary schools) no shortage of posters exemplifying Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist and ardent socialist.
Yet, this second rather important detail is completely left out of the history books, and washed from the public consciousness in order to present a carcinogenic and simplistic image of Einstein as a politically neutral figure. The well-restricted flow of information about Einstein is so widespread and so oversimplified that it would seem as the Big Brother himself were behind the whole scheme.
Am I surprised? Not in the least. Nor am I surprised that they ´ve done similar damage to other admirable socialists like Helen Keller, whose decades of tireless political advocacy have been erased from the pages of history.
Some people find Helen Keller jokes to be offensive. Not me; I think they ´re hilarious, and I would never dream of wasting my time and energy being offended by such petty nonsense. What offends me is that there are people out there who would knowingly perpetuate a false image of her, who would selectively exclude information, who would manipulate history so as to reinforce capitalist domination rather than challenge it.
Jokes are funny, and can be harmless depending on context. Desecration is neither. An Orwellian dystopia is neither. I am offended, appalled, and disgusted by the lies of omission that surround Einstein, Keller, and various other historical figures. I am furious that I ended up learning about Einstein ´s socialism while abroad rather than in the U.S., where everyone ought to know it. I am mad as hell and I will never give up until the madness stops.
Que no te confunden,
Enrique Gales
