A Chilling Quote
TM
"Of course, the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, a parliament, or a communist dictatorship.
"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."
-- Herman Goering, Nazi Reichsmarschall and Luftwaffe Chief, at the Nuremberg trials.
"Of course, the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, a parliament, or a communist dictatorship.
"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."
-- Herman Goering, Nazi Reichsmarschall and Luftwaffe Chief, at the Nuremberg trials.
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1 Comments:
Tom,
I read about this site in the Free Press and thought I'd check it out. I don't have any experience with this and I'm not sure what is expected but I applaud the effort and I will try to remember to check in here and maybe learn how one participates in this process.
Anyway, to comment on the Goering quote: In some ways I always cringe when the Nazi card is played when referring to our All-American scumbags like W. and his crew. It is facile and, as many have said at various times, belittles the particular criminality of the Hitler regime. And yet, I have German cousins, a little older than I am, so that they have some memory of the war years if not of Hitler's seizure and consolidation of power. Not only that they had a father who was a wonderful and thoughtful old gentleman. He may not have foretold the course and consequences of the Nazi years, and may have been, in fact almost certainly was, complicit in parts of what happened. But he had 20-20 hindsight, and having lived through the war and its aftermath, he had a keen eye for corruption and tyranny and the dismantling of democratic safeguards. Conversations and correspondence with him and with his sons since his death have given me some perspective to suspect that in some ways, comparisons of Bush and Hitler are valid. Both were skilled at manipulating the machinery of democracy and yet had utter contempt for it. Both seemed utterly incapable of doubting himself. Both were terribly reckless of the effects on others of his actions and policies. Further than that, I don't think it useful to compare personalities and motives.
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