Friday's Disturbing Thought

2 ^AM July 30, 2004

I don’t normally quote Nazis, but this is rattling around my head today:

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, 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 pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger.

- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials

(The Urban Legends reference site says it’s genuine)

By alang | # | Comments (4)

(Posted to Stuff and Christian Life)

Comments

At 06:27, 30 Jul 2004 Florian wrote:

Jingo

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At 10:00, 30 Jul 2004 David Pinn wrote:

What has been is what will be,
   and what has been done is what will be done,
   and there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there a thing of which it is said,
   "See, this is new"?
It has been already
   in the ages before us.
There is no remembrance of former things,
   nor will there be any remembrance
of later things yet to be
   among those who come after.

-- The Bible (ESV), Ecclesiastes, chapter 1, verses 9 to 11

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At 15:22, 30 Jul 2004 Joe Grossberg wrote:

Yes, but it's *not* easy to lead people into war. Example: the US inaction while Goering's people murdered their way across Europe, despite FDR desperately wanting to join England's defense.

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At 17:17, 30 Jul 2004 Florian wrote:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction....The chain reaction of evil -- hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars -- must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.
--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)

Hm, the abyss of annihilation, sounds intresting, wait, I know, it's called post-bush empire Americanum.

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