Terry Donaghe, <tdonaghe@yahoo.com>, writes:
Yes, by all means, let's apply this political litmus test and reject
everything said by socialists. We can start with people like Robert
Oppenheimer and Albert Einstein. Everybody knows that they're a bunch
of no-nothing looters, not to be trusted, right?
> First, I know very little about Mr. Dyson...
>
> I skimmed that Wired article, and perhaps I'm wrong, but I got the
> distinct impression that Mr. Dyson is not very interested in
> capitalism, and maybe that he is enamoured with communism or at least
> collectivism.
>
> Is this old news?
>
> If he's a socialist/collectivist, I'd have to take anything he says
> with a HUGE grain of salt. Looters aren't to be trusted, ya know.
Albert Einstein, the looter.
Imagine Albert Einstein breaking a store window and grabbing the merchandise, running away with a boom box on his shoulder, his wispy white hair flying in all directions as the German physicist anxiously looks back over his shoulder for pursuing cops.
That's the kind of morals and ethics he had, right, Terry?
In my experience, many if not most pure scientists and mathemeticians lean towards socialism. In fact, I once read a eulogy in a mathematics magazine where the author went to some lengths to apologize for the fact that the deceased was *not* a socialist. He had to explain that there were personal reasons why the man hadn't become a socialist, that he was still a good person, etc. Apparently it was quite an embarrassment not to be a socialist in those circles.
"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." Albert Einstein, "Why Socialism?". Widely available on the net; try http://www.scruz.net/~kangaroo/Einstein.htm.
Hal