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Herman Goering, president of the Reichstag, Nazi Party, and Luftwaffe Commander in Chief: "Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or 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 peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country." - Herman Goering (second in command to Adolf Hitler) at the Nuremberg Trials "The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins." - H.L. Mencken "To derail concern over whether you should _support_their_policy_, the PR system focuses attention on whether you _support_our_troops_ -- meaningless words, as empty as the question of whether you support the people of Iowa. That of course, is just the point: to reduce the population to gibbering idiots, mouthing empty phrases and patriotic slogans, waving ribbons, watching gladiatorial contests and the models designed for them by the PR industry, but, crucially, not thinking or acting." - Noam Chomsky This is the kind of dialogue that occurs when the People have been conditioned to accept "whatever is neccessary" to "protect" us: (This is from our mainstrean News) Leslie Stahl [reporter], speaking of US sanctions against Iraq: "We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that's more children than died in Hiroshima. And -- and you know, is the price worth it?" Madeline Albright: "I think this is a very hard choice, but the price -- we think the price is worth it." How would you view anyone who is willing to cause the death of 500,000 children to punish one man? |