Sad but true statement about talking the people into war: I have heard this before here you go! : “Naturally the common people don’t want war. But after all, it is the
leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it’s always a simple matter to drag 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 ofm the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and for exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country.”
--- Hermann Goering, Hitler’s Reich Marshall, at the Nuremberg Trials after World War II.
Answer! Although this quote was indeed spoken by Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering during the course of the Nuremburg Trials, it was not part of the trial records, since these remarks were made privately by Goering in a conversation with prison psychologist and U.S. Army Captain Gustave M. Gilbert that took place in Goering's jail cell.
"The quote cited above does not appear in transcripts of the Nuremberg trials because although Goering spoke these words during the course of the proceedings, he did not offer them at his trial. His comments were made privately to Gustave Gilbert, a German-speaking intelligence officer and psychologist who was granted free access by the Allies to all the prisoners held in the Nuremberg jail. Gilbert kept a journal of his observations of the proceedings and his conversations with the prisoners, which he later published in the book Nuremberg Diary.
The quote offered above was part of a conversation Gilbert held with a dejected Hermann Goering in his cell on the evening of 18 April 1946, as the trials were halted for a three-day Easter recess." Snopes.com http://www.snopes.com/quotes/goering.htm
Here is the complete quote, with a comment by Gilbert that occurred midway through it: "Nazi leader Hermann Goering, interviewed by Gustave Gilbert during the Easter recess of the Nuremberg trials, 1946 April 18, quoted in Gilbert's book 'Nuremberg Diary.' Goering: Why, of course, the people don't want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that 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 in America, 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. Gilbert: There is one difference.
In a democracy the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars. Goering: 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 danger. It works the same in any country." NashuaPeace.org http://naw.ijaq.net/conversation_with_Goering.htm
14 comments:
With the caveat that while I'm not an American and am very suspicious of America and Americans, I think you should be extremely proud of what happened in your country yesterday.
Two days ago the President-elect and his Senate Majority leader put an elderly man who had done no wrong and put him through the public humiliation of his life. I was revolted by the spectacle much as I am revolted by about 80% of your Democratic leaders and 95% of your Republican leaders. I find both your president and president-elect to be beneath contempt.
Yet, yesterday, the aggrieved party, Senator-appointee Burris, Governor Blagojevich, Representative Rush (all Democrats) were joined by JUDICIAL WATCH (mostly extreme Republicans) to file suit so that these men would not be deprived of their constitutional rights by a Senate gangster cartel and ever-more Juan Peron-seeming President-elect.
To petition legal redress is still a right. The judge heard the complaint and you'd better believe he saw constitutional problems and got that complaint scheduled.
The figure-head gangster needed to be beloved was the first to cave in, taking off his oligarch's mask and putting on his civil rights' leaders mask, took off after the other gangster and INSISTED the other gangster "obey the constitution."
If Roland Burris is not seated as the new Junior U.S. Senator from Illinois, quite a few of the Senate gangster cartel will be meeting Hon Sen-appt Burris, Hon Gov Blagojevich, hon Rep Rush and JUDICIAL WATCH in Federal Civil Court.
Sometime the system works and the constitution holds. Yesterday, maybe, I, too was a US Patriot.
President Bush was a disgrace. President Obama will be a disgrace. At least now you know that when Obama deviates from the ethical and moral course of action, he, unlike Bush, can be intimidated into doing his duty.
Something like this happened in Venezuela a few weeks back. President Chavez questioned a ballot electing an opposition representative and didn't want to seat him. Even though Chavez's own governing party in the assembly, the PSVA, voted Chavez's motion down and seat the opposition Assemblyman, your newspapers still had wretched things to say about the absence of democracy in Venezuela.
Venezuela is a social democracy which occasionally has it's unfortunate cult-of-personality moments. America is a Theocratic Authoritarian state which occasionally has its moments of being a Republic. Yesterday was one of them.
Kelso's nuts!
You are not alone in being disappointed by our Politician's! Bush the lying underhanded life long total failure set the standard and all Politician's and business leaders are following it.
To me the lone politician above it seems to be Wexler! As for Burris I think the Democrats in the end got what they wanted. If they came out in favor of him from the outset there would have been an outcry from the right. Now they can not say anything because they advocated him.
I happen to like Burris and think he will do a great job!
As for Obama he has been hamstrung and set up for failure so the right can get back in and finish us off I mean their mis agenda!
When all is said and done Obama's bed has been made for him by Bush and it is not good. The only difference between the two is that Obama will listen to advice and do the right thing for average American's and our America not Bush's!
Kelso
By the way, welcome and thanks for the input!
AAP: I've done quite a bit of research on this because I trade politics for fair amounts of money on the English, Irish and Caribbean screens. You have isolated the only person who has some outside chance of being president in 2012 other than Eva Peron Obama: Bob Wexler.
Wexler 8 years ago was a huge recipient of AIPAC money and somewhat of an Israel hawk. He'd started to have a crisis of conscience about all that during the Clinton impeachment and 2000 election but as Gore was an Israel Expanionist at the time, Wexler stayed with that position.
It was Bush's rush to war that turned Wexler into the fiery progressive peacenik he is now and as a result has been completely cutoff from AIPAC funding. He is now in the elite in the Congress in terms of promoting a two-state settlement of Israel and Palestine, along with his own "across the aisle" progressive/libertarian fusion group of representatives who believe in PEACE, PERSONAL FREEDOM, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND SOUND ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT. You see Dennis Kucinich, Ron Paul, Barbara Lee, Dana Rohrabacher, Linda Sanchez and various others drifing in and out of the group on various issues that affect peace, personal freedom, accountability, and responsible economics.
Of those people, Wexler has the best chance of being elected president and he's prepared. He's already written a book about his views. He's replaced the AIPAC money with other sources of Progressive Jewish funding, and has also made fame for himself by his grilling of Alberto Gonzales and Condoleeza Rice. Those you tubes have been viewed over 1mm times each.
There is also something going on below the press's radar. Barack Obama is losing his likely-voting African-American electorate by the day. The mood there is very skeptical and it's about at the "let's give him a chance" stage, but about half feel that looking back, Kucinich or Paul were the right candidates. As the most famous Jewish dove in Washington, he is perfectly poised to split or even out-poll Obama in a Democratic primary with African-Americans in 2012. The latter is very plausible given the REAL policies Obama has been unwrapping since the election. If Obama bounces Eric Holder in favor of a White Republican like Patrick Fitzgerald or James Comey, expect a mass African-American exodus from Obama.
He would have to be the progressive of all-time to get it back then and he has no progressive in him. I think a lot of Obama's red-state men will defect to the Republicans and Wexler will probably get all of Obama's Jews and 60% of his "Guilty White Liberals."
Obama had the world of trouble debating Hillary Clinton. He made it look easy against McCain because McCain is brain dead. Wexler on the other hand is something very different. He has tons of courtroom experiece litigating criminal and civil cases and is a very tough guy in committee as we've seen over and over again. And he had the guts to read with Kucinich and Paul articles of impeachment into the Congressional Record.
If Wexler were not thinking about going for it against Obama, he'd be running for Senate right now. With Jeb Bush out of the race, he'd walk away with that seat. So, the world might be in for some real "change" from America come 2012.
All right Kelso!
Quite a discharge! You could be right! However being as familiar with our Politics as I am I firmly believe that if you do not to a fault back Israel you do not stand a chance of being elected President!
Obama realized that! Just yesterday I had a conversation with someone that at this point knowing Israel's war mongering, their involvement in Georgia, their involvement in India, their involvement in Gaza, instigation to war with Syria, Iran, and everywhere else, they are behind ours and the worlds problems as Bush and now Obama aim to please them!
I do not think Wexler or anyone else stands a chance unless they back Israel amd all its lobbies 100%
I have to laugh! I write often about the total lie we are living under Bush and did again today on another site I write on but the perfect manufactured storm created for and by Bush is just beginning and the timing is no coincidence.
Obama has ben hamstrung for failure so the right can get back in and finish us and their agenda off! Whoever gets elected in the future will be dealing with this purposely created mess.
I really can not see blacks jumping ship they have waited too long for this. I was afraid Obama would create a Black against white scenario and though he does not want it by in large he has!
Anyway you look at it Bush with his politics of destruction has created a volatile future for the entire world and it will be unfolding for years. It sickens me the life long alcoholic total failure is proud of what he has done. He sickens me! The entire world and its future will pay for his happening!
Thats Kelso for u
I just wanted to say have a blessed 2009. I would respond but it would be a post. But suffice it to say we covered it on our last blogtalk radio show
All right Torrance so you know Kelso? happy New Year to you too! I have been a bit absent of late as I have been spending quite a bit of time doing Oped's for a civilian media site! You may want to check it out! allvoices it is quite good!
Torrance here you go
With American fundamentalism entwined into politics as it is, we have a Knesset on the Potomac. Just as no politician can become president without passing a "Jesus Test" for the Southern states, none dare question any right-wing Israeli government policy.
We know the US Government does not represent the interests of the American people. Corporate interests and Israeli interests always get their way.
That's the whole problem. The US is NOT independent of Israeli influence. Remember the USS Liberty? What other nation can deliberately attack a US naval vessel and kill dozens of sailors without provoking a war of retribution
Hi Dave!
It is sickening but to our leaders Israel can do no wrong! I am convinced they dictate our policy thus Bush's war mongering! Unless you back Israel 100% you will not get elected President.
They were behind Georgia now involved in India, instigating iran Syria now attacking Gaza, Watch what's coming! I have come to the conclusion they are the worlds bane not the chosen and we are fighting and killing for them in proxy!
James,
Excellent post!
There's nothing like revisiting the past to help us define the potential outcome of a modern day state policy.
I would say that Donald Rumsfeld and, to a large extent, Condi Rice, were the Goerrings of Hitleresque Bush.
Re Israel: I too am sickened by America's blind loyalty to an extremely murderous Israel; that American taxpayers allow their government to finance Israel's murderous and genocidal ambitions is all the more baffling.
May I recommend the following reading:
How Israel brought Gaza to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe, written by Oxford professor of international relations Avi Shlaim who served in the Israeli Army
hillblogger
Thank You and I will read that! I was slow to catch on but I did and not enough of the world will to stop what is about to happen.
What is happening in Gaza is the culminastion of a long plan for the middle eaast supposedly creating a buffer zone for Israel and a new middle east order.
Helping that is why we atacked Iraq to get back into the middle east and why we will not leave!
It will all end in total disorder as it will here and around the world allowing Americans to give up total control of their lives and prosecute this.
Anyway I now realize Israel is controlling us and instigating and pushing events around the world. We are enforcing their policies in proxy and this is just beginning!
James,
Something off topic but might be of interest to you:
Israel's war on Gaza: Follow the gas trail
I didn't have the slightest clue that the Palestinians were sitting on a huge gas reserve in Gaza until I read a fellow blogger's post and her link to Michel Chossudovsky's War and Natural Gas: The Israeli Invasion and Gaza's Offshore Gas Fields.
The military invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israeli Forces bears a direct relation to the control and ownership of strategic offshore gas reserves.
This is a war of conquest. Discovered in 2000, there are extensive gas reserves off the G
I don't know if I responded to you or not but I posted on this being about Gaza's gas and energy lines and reserves but Israeli's took offense saying they had their own. Depends on who you believe once again!
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