https://bigthink.com/the-past/should-we-have-a-world-government-einstein-thought-so

<quotes>

One proponent of a world government was Albert Einstein. He saw overzealous patriotism as one of the causes of World Wars.

He regarded nationalism as a "disease" and wanted to see a world without borders, with one international government having power over individual states.

</quotes>

On Thu, 25 Jan 2024 18:44:30 +0000, The Happy Hippy wrote:

> https://bigthink.com/the-past/should-we-have-a-world-government-einstein-
thought-so
>
> <quotes>
>
> One proponent of a world government was Albert Einstein. He saw
> overzealous patriotism as one of the causes of World Wars.
>
> He regarded nationalism as a "disease" and wanted to see a world without
> borders, with one international government having power over individual
> states.
>
> </quotes>

Borders help contain problems. Having individual nations means that
people can have distinct cultures and be represented as countries even if
they are poor or have low populations. They can have individual ways of
doing things.

You'd still get local leaders and feuds, it would become like the drug
cartels, you'd get local warlords. People thousands of miles from the
seat of power might resent being ruled like a colony. People would no
longer be led by someone connected to them. I don't think 'Citizen of
Earth' would be enough.

Holding down the craziness of the world would fall even more to the non-
crazy parts of the world... or maybe if there's a riot in London Chinese
police will be sent in. Of course there'd be no China but there would be
people from there that had led very different lives to the people in
London. Would the police be armed? Would they be unarmed in the former
UK but armed in the former US? Wouldn't that be like treating them as
different countries?

I just feel in my marrow that it wouldn't make things any better. Maybe
Einsten said it, and as a person who saw the rise of Nazi Germany I can
see why he would think that if he actually did, but the Nazis weren't just
a product of nationalism. It might just be that there's more than one
road leading to Hell.

TWP wrote:
> On Thu, 25 Jan 2024 18:44:30 +0000, The Happy Hippy wrote:
>
>> https://bigthink.com/the-past/should-we-have-a-world-government-einstein-
> thought-so
>>
>> <quotes>
>>
>> One proponent of a world government was Albert Einstein. He saw
>> overzealous patriotism as one of the causes of World Wars.
>>
>> He regarded nationalism as a "disease" and wanted to see a world without
>> borders, with one international government having power over individual
>> states.
>>
>> </quotes>
>
>
> Borders help contain problems. Having individual nations means that
> people can have distinct cultures and be represented as countries even if
> they are poor or have low populations. They can have individual ways of
> doing things.
>
> You'd still get local leaders and feuds, it would become like the drug
> cartels, you'd get local warlords. People thousands of miles from the
> seat of power might resent being ruled like a colony. People would no
> longer be led by someone connected to them. I don't think 'Citizen of
> Earth' would be enough.
>
> Holding down the craziness of the world would fall even more to the non-
> crazy parts of the world... or maybe if there's a riot in London Chinese
> police will be sent in. Of course there'd be no China but there would be
> people from there that had led very different lives to the people in
> London. Would the police be armed? Would they be unarmed in the former
> UK but armed in the former US? Wouldn't that be like treating them as
> different countries?
>
> I just feel in my marrow that it wouldn't make things any better. Maybe
> Einsten said it, and as a person who saw the rise of Nazi Germany I can
> see why he would think that if he actually did, but the Nazis weren't just
> a product of nationalism. It might just be that there's more than one
> road leading to Hell.
>

further to your point - The Nazis also wanted a 1 world government ,,
With them as the shot callers, of course.

I don't think the lust for power, control, domination and subjugation
would be any different today, and there has to be leaders and shot
callers ,, In fact, we see shades of it in todays "democrat" party, and
also within the UN.

A King of Earth ?
Quite obviously not workable, only a simpleton would propose such nonsense.
Closest thing we have had to that was probably Alexander the Great, and
also the Roman Empire ,, And it didn't work out all that well for them
in the end.
People want and need borders they are in control of, territory, land.
Its so basic that all of the animal kingdom practice it, enforce their
borders as if their very lives depend on it ,, Because in fact, their
very lives do depend on it, and so do ours.

--
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for
light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

JeSSe wrote:
> TWP wrote:
>> On Thu, 25 Jan 2024 18:44:30 +0000, The Happy Hippy wrote:
>>
>>> https://bigthink.com/the-past/should-we-have-a-world-government-einstein-
>>>
>> thought-so
>>>
>>> <quotes>
>>>
>>> One proponent of a world government was Albert Einstein. He saw
>>> overzealous patriotism as one of the causes of World Wars.
>>>
>>> He regarded nationalism as a "disease" and wanted to see a world without
>>> borders, with one international government having power over individual
>>> states.
>>>
>>> </quotes>
>>
>>
>> Borders help contain problems.  Having individual nations means that
>> people can have distinct cultures and be represented as countries even if
>> they are poor or have low populations.  They can have individual ways of
>> doing things.
>>
>> You'd still get local leaders and feuds, it would become like the drug
>> cartels, you'd get local warlords.  People thousands of miles from the
>> seat of power might resent being ruled like a colony.  People would no
>> longer be led by someone connected to them.  I don't think 'Citizen of
>> Earth' would be enough.
>>
>> Holding down the craziness of the world would fall even more to the non-
>> crazy parts of the world... or maybe if there's a riot in London Chinese
>> police will be sent in.  Of course there'd be no China but there would be
>> people from there that had led very different lives to the people in
>> London.  Would the police be armed?  Would they be unarmed in the former
>> UK but armed in the former US?  Wouldn't that be like treating them as
>> different countries?
>>
>> I just feel in my marrow that it wouldn't make things any better.  Maybe
>> Einsten said it, and as a person who saw the rise of Nazi Germany I can
>> see why he would think that if he actually did, but the Nazis weren't
>> just
>> a product of nationalism.  It might just be that there's more than one
>> road leading to Hell.
>>
>
> further to your point - The Nazis also wanted a 1 world government ,,
> With them as the shot callers, of course.
>
> I don't think the lust for power, control, domination and subjugation
> would be any different today, and there has to be leaders and shot
> callers ,, In fact, we see shades of it in todays "democrat" party, and
> also within the UN.
>
> A King of Earth ?
> Quite obviously not workable, only a simpleton would propose such nonsense.
> Closest thing we have had to that was probably Alexander the Great, and
> also the Roman Empire ,, And it didn't work out all that well for them
> in the end.
> People want and need borders they are in control of, territory, land.
> Its so basic that all of the animal kingdom practice it, enforce their
> borders as if their very lives depend on it ,, Because in fact, their
> very lives do depend on it, and so do ours.
>

Also, as you stated, perhaps some allowances can be made for Einstein
with his particular situation, the times he lived in, being run out of
Europe - But he could no more see the long term implications of what he
was proposing any more than Lincoln could by trying to make productive
citizens out of Afrikans. In fact, he has even less of an excuse, and
should have pondered the obvious things we both wrote above.

Being a genius at mathematics/equations does not amount to being an
overall genius about everything, his opinion is no more valid than
anyone else.

--
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for
light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.