The folly of nationalism ( WATCHING AMERICA )

The great spiritual gift of the Jews to human civilization was Monotheism. If ONE GOD rules the universe, if one moral code can serve all humanity, why fight over wretched pieces of earth? In the 1930s here in the United States-with growing darkness in Europe--many educated Jews embraced international socialism. They are still wiser to identify with the have-nots of the world than with treacherous privileged classes in any country.

Many educated Jews are atheist-humanists. So where is the metaphysical support for modern Zionism? Israel should be reconstituted as a secular nation with great respect for all the world's religions. All any of us can hope for in a cruel, indifferent universe is human kindness and sympathy.

Syrian War Victims: Photo by Manu Brabo (AP)

Albert Einstein, a socialist, was wise to decline the presidency of Israel. He could appreciate the Relativity of Truth. It is obtuse human arrogance-absolute CERTAINTY– that is felt by any sensitive visitor standing in the very ashes of Holocaust victims at Auschwitz. This point is made by the kindly Jewish scholar-scientist in the TV series: "The Ascent of Man."

The mountain of bones at the battleground of Verdun warn us today about the folly of ALL nationalisms: "Here lie our heroic French soldiers". . . "Here lie our heroic German soldiers."

What rot! All those bloody idiotic patriotic phrases. Rotting corpses everywhere "making the world safe for democracy." The young person should shout "Non Serviam!" to the military killing machines of the world. You will not find an honest atheist in a foxhole.

( Comment on article published in Die Welt ( Germany ) on Jan. 15, 2015 by Hannes Stein , " The U.S. should open its gates " [ to European Jews ]   )