Perhaps he recanted later, but Albert Einstein in 1949:
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. In such an economy, the means of production are owned by society itself and are utilized in a planned fashion. A planned economy, which adjusts production to the needs of the community, would distribute the work to be done among all those able to work and would guarantee a livelihood to every man, woman, and child. The education of the individual, in addition to promoting his own innate abilities, would attempt to develop in him a sense of responsibility for his fellow men in place of the glorification of power and success in our present society.
I don’t know what the truth of the best system is, but I know it isn’t what we have now. Even if you are a die hard Ayn Rand loving capitalist, it’s worth reading the full piece as he makes an excellent summary of what ails us. In fact, the piece seems just as relevant today as the day it was written.
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