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En 1955 las posibilidades de que el planeta se fuese al carajo en una guerra nuclear eran bastante altas, el ser humano había construido una gigante espada de Damocles con forma de pepino metálico, la había colocado sobre su propia cabeza y en su infinita estupidez estaba dispuesto a usarla, ante tal panorama, un grupo de hombres de ciencia decidieron levantar su voz y advertir al mundo sobre su negro destino en el caso de que a algún iluminado se le ocurriese apretar el botón rojo, se agruparon en torno a una de las mayores expresiones de sentido común escritas en toda la Historia, el manifiesto Russell-Einstein.
Esta es la carta que Betrand Russell envió a Albert Einstein solicitando su adhesión el 5 de Abril de ése año, pocas semanas antes de la muerte del propio Einstein:
5 April, 1955.
41, Queen’s Road,
Richmond, Surrey.
Dear Einstein,
I have been turning over in my mind, and discussing with various people, the best steps for giving effect to the feeling against war among the great majority of men of science. I think the first step should be a statement by men of the highest eminence, communists and anti-Communists, Western and Eastern, about the disasters to be expected in a war. I enclose a draft of such a statement, and I very much hope that you will be willing to sign it. I enclose also a list of those whom I am asking to sign. If sufficient signatures are obtained, I think the next step should be an international scientific congress which should be invited by the signatories to pass a resolution on the lines of the draft resolution which I enclose. I hope that in this way both Governments and public opinion can be made aware of the seriousness of the situation.
On the whole, I have thought that it was better at this stage to approach only men of science and not men in other fields, such as Arnold Toynbee whom you mentioned. Scientists have, and feel that they have, a special responsibility, since their work has unintentionally caused our present dangers. Moreover, widening the field would make it very much more difficult to steer clear of politics.
Yours sincerely,
(Signed, ‘Bertrand Russell’)
A lo que el genial viejo, respondió:
Dear Bertrand Russell,
Thank you for your letter of April 5. I am gladly willing to sign your excellent statement. I also agree with your choice of the prospective signers.
With kind regards,
A. Einstein.
Fue la última carta que Einstein escribió, murió el dieciocho de Abril, hecho que no le impidió adherir su nombre al manifiesto.
