"Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? 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."
2007-08-29 09:30:26 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
Unfortunately, I'm afraid it is only too true. I'd be interested to know who said it, as it sounds vaguely familiar. I suspect we are all going to be surprised when you tell us who said it.
2007-08-30 09:03:44 · answer #1 · answered by auntb93 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's partially true. I take issue with this:
"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders."
That's not what happened in the Vietnam era.....
and this:
"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."
If you are being attacked, that's a fact, not political maneuvering. How should one respond to attacks? Force is an option. Those that want peace so badly that it suspends their good judgment deserve attacks for not being patriotic, if that is the case. If your country is at war, then the least every citizen can do is support the cause. This actually helps, it tends to improve morale and improved morale tends to get better results.
Al Qaeda's #1 weapon in the current war is propaganda. They know that killing 100 people in a market is going to win them support in the US. They take advantage of this to turn us against our government. If Americans responded to these attacks with resolve in our mission, Al Qaeda would be powerless.
2007-08-29 16:40:34 · answer #2 · answered by Pfo 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
War is a very profitable effort, if you win. How profitable depends on the location and what exactly is at stake. Defending your country against attack is a totally different matter, and does not apply to the war in Iraq. This war is, for some, very profitable. It's about money and people are just collateral damage...the price of war! When I learned about our constant air attacks, I realized that this administration has no intention of ending it before the next election. Evil is not a strong enough word to describe war-profiteers!
2007-08-29 16:44:19 · answer #3 · answered by ArRo 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I remember reading this statement and I think it was one of Hitler's henchmen. I could be wrong there.
The thing is, it is very true. The people of a country are always dragged in and, if they oppose, they are labeled unpatriotic.
Isn't that what is happening here in America? We are told that if we fight the terrorists over there, they won't come here. Here's the problem with that statement. We have them here already, so what is the true point in the war with Iraq?
We have open borders here in America that has been allowing these terrorists in. That only means one thing. A terrorist attack is going to happen here.
So again, I will ask the question. If the reason for fighting the terrorists over in Iraq is to prevent them from coming here, how is it they already are here and have easy access to enter America from either Canada or Mexico?
2007-08-29 16:43:13 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
True if you have never been anywhere except the farm.
A criminal is a criminal whether he is on the street waiting to snatch your purse or if he is the leader of a country and who declares that he wants to wipe other countries off of the face of the earth using what ever justification he can conjure and the anti-America war “pacifists” will swallow. (I refer of course to Iran and Israel)
If you really think that ignoring Ahmadinejad’s threats to annihilate Israel and the West will make him go away because the big bad government is just trying to pull the wool over your eyes so they can profit with oil and contractors then you go right ahead and believe that.
People like me who have served 10 years in the US Navy and have been there and done that know different. This is what separates the sheep from the sheepdogs. The people who don’t know and just want to scoot along in life and those who do know and want to do what it takes to ensure our continued freedom.
2007-08-29 16:56:56 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
We might be overwhelmed if we knew the "secret intelligence" that president Bush gets every day.
What we see is the tip of the ice burg, and we are pleased to believe the leaders lied about the need for war. If we realized how necessary this messy business is to homeland security, we couldn't sleep at night!
It is good to tell your children, "Relax, nothing will happen", so they can stand to live on this sin-cursed earth.
It's a bit of a white lie, really; but a necessary one, so they won't be paralysed by nightmares, and grow up normal & feeling safe.
But something WILL happen, sooner or later, and we'll all be carried out in a box! Look to God, and a happy after-life!
The new back packs are out for our children, with bullet-proof, knife-proof shields built in. Don't tell them that, or fear will cause them to die a thousand deaths.
It is appointed for each of us to die once. Sometimes it is a terrrorist, psycopath or war. Sometimes it's a fatal accident, and we die saying "Whoops"!
Be born again, and live forever, with God, in PEACE. May you die peacefully, in your sleep, like my good old dad, not screeming in terror like his passengers.
2007-08-29 21:47:46 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
people think this is a recent quote, but it's not!
I was said by one of the Nazi leaders before world war 2, just cant remember which.
But it certainly could have come from this Administration.
2007-08-29 16:42:34 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have seen this many times before, and this is truly how the Military Industrial Complex, elite think. They care only about money and power. People are incidental to them...nothing more than chattel. *sm*
2007-08-29 17:14:35 · answer #8 · answered by LadyZania 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think your quote is 100% correct. It was said by one of the most loathesome human beings in modern history, Hermann Goering.
2007-08-31 08:59:48 · answer #9 · answered by cmw 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The difference is that our nation was attacked, in Pearl Harbor and in 9-11. That was very good reason to go to war. Only now, we are in a situation where we have to fight them over there, so they don't come here.
2007-08-29 16:35:40 · answer #10 · answered by grunt33 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋