Einstein did not consider himself European

Linh Dinh writes:

In 2018, the publication of Albert Einstein’s travel diaries was greeted by newspaper headlines lamenting his politically incorrect views of Asians, particularly the Chinese.

Most egregious was Einstein’s verdict on Chinese women, “I noticed how little difference there is between men and women; I don’t understand what kind of fatal attraction Chinese women possess that enthralls the corresponding men to such an extent that they are incapable of defending themselves against the formidable blessing of offspring.” ...

To show that Einstein’s view on the Chinese was complex, and not just negative, Rosenkranz quotes from his 1919 letter to another Jewish physicist, Paul Ehrenfest, “I get most joy from the emergence of the Jewish state in Palestine. It does seem to me that our kinfolk really are more sympathetic (at least less brutal) than these horrid Europeans. Perhaps things can only improve if only the Chinese are left, who refer to all Europeans with the collective noun ‘bandits.’”

It is interesting that Einstein did not consider himself European. I thought that it was a Nazi thing to consider Jews non-European, but apparently Einstein had that opinion long before the Nazis.

Einstein is usually described as non-religious, but he very much identified with the Jews and worked towards Zionism all his life. He became an American citizen, but he also belonged to Commie front organizations, so he probably did not consider himself American either.

I am not trying to hold Einstein's private diary comments against him. He was entitled to his opinions. But Einstein is always held out as a great source of wisdom, so we should be clear on how he thought that his values were grounded.

Meanwhile, the NY Times has published the most pro-Hitler article I have ever seen. Weird. Another article by its chief film critic says Hitler comedy can be very funny, but now that Trump is President, we shouldn't laugh at it. Maybe we should ignore his stupid movie reviews.