Einstein’s Normalcy Gyroscope Is Spinning Down

As the McCarthy communism snipe hunt of the 1950s came to an end, Albert Einstein wrote a hopeful letter to his son. He was amazed that America seemed to have a “gyroscope” (his word), and every time the country seemed on the verge of being consumed by political passions, the country magically returned to normalcy.

It was an observation that the American experiment inherently resists extremism. When political forces have pulled us against founding principles, opposing forces have inevitably pulled us back. But Einstein didn’t articulate what comprised our “gyroscope,” – our institutions.

When Senator McCarthy went looking for communist infiltrators under every bed, he used the power of Congress to ruin lives without due process. Fortunately, our inherent sense of morality, and exposure by the press, facilitated a course correction. Joseph McCarthy was censured by the Senate in 1954.

The American experiment has been remarkably resilient, because our institutions have provided order and stability:

• Churches gave us a shared moral foundation,
• Schools taught independence and self-reliance,
• The three branches of the federal government kept each other in check,
• The press ensured the public made informed decisions, and
• The medical profession never, ever, lied to us.

But does Einstein’s gyro still work in the 21^st century, when checks and balances no longer check nor balance? It has taken 237 years for our “Einstein gyroscope” to spin down. But it is undeniably happening now, and America is drifting off course.

Far too many churches are preaching social justice, and using moral relativism as justification. Denying that morality is absolute and defined by God is blurring the line between good and evil – making even the most heinous atrocities (such as the Oct 7, 2023 attack in Israel) subject to “contextualization.”

Schools have become promoters of communism and junk science. They claim gender is a choice, accomplishment is because of privilege, failure is due to oppression, and collectivism has rendered self-reliance obsolete.

Members of the press have become purveyors of propaganda. Truth is no longer their stock in trade, and standing up to power depends on who is in power. Now they are in the business of changing society with narratives and disinformation.

COVID proved to us that those attending to our health, were more concerned about profits and narratives than our well-being. Junk science was imposed on the public to achieve obedience, and effective treatments were discouraged because more profitable (yet less effective) ones were available.

Judges have become activists rather than arbiters of fairness. Who appointed them is a more reliable predictor of their decision making than the law or rules of judicial conduct.

Congress represents lobbyists and NGOs rather than their voters. Gerrymandering and election tinkering have rendered them nearly unaccountable to those they supposedly represent. Their constituents scream “no” to government growth and runaway spending. But federal employment and spending continue to grow like malignant cancers.

The President is no longer allowed to operate the executive branch. Labor unions and designations as “independent agencies” have turned our bureaucracy into an unaccountable fourth branch of government – mentioned nowhere in the Constitution, nor subject to any checks and balances. The bureaucracy churns out rules and regulations dictating how we must live, with little regard for our wishes.

The rotor of our “Einstein gyroscope” is spinning down, as there are no longer any properly operating institutions to apply opposing resistance to extremist forces.

Freedom has won over tyranny by only a few percentage points in each of our recent elections. Once that narrow margin has been closed

• “Woke” will be funded,
• The filibuster will be eliminated,
• Elections will be nationalized,
• Courts will be packed,
• Speech will be censored, and
• Self-defense will be criminalized.

That’s when our “Einstein gyroscope” will have stopped.

So, how do we recharge “Einstein’s gyroscope” before it’s too late?

Teach our children critical thinking, so that they may see the truth regardless of what the narrative spinners are pushing. Instill a sense of morality in our children, so that they will know what to do with the truths they discover.

Remain skeptical of our institutions, until they prove their trustworthiness. Degrees and accolades are not proof of honesty. Question the advice of the elites, until they have demonstrated systems of accountability within their own professions.

Demand that our state governments impose accountability on a federal government which has lost its way. Article V of the Constitution gives the states the means, now we need to help our state legislators find the will.

Author Bio: John Green is a retired engineer and political refugee from Minnesota, now residing in Idaho. He spent his career designing complex defense systems, developing high performance organizations, and doing corporate strategic planning. He is a contributor to American Thinker, The American Spectator, and the American Free News Network. He can be reached at greenjeg@gmail.com.

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