Göring: 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.
Göring: Oh, that is all well and good, but, 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 way in any country.. Dr. G.M. Gilbert 1976 "The Memory of Justice"
In an interview with Gilbert in Göring's jail cell during the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials (18 April 1946)
------------snip to link to Wikiquote: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hermann_G%C3%B6ring
"The people" don't know what they want until we're told when, where, and how to think. Don't think for one second Democrats, independents and so called "L"ibertarians are immune; "Lock Her UP!" If it weren't for the independents and "L"ibertarians being such useful idiots in every presidential election, we might have had some governance for "We, the People." Instead we had minimum 50 years of being pissed on and told to pull up our boot straps.
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