"Why of course the people don't want war," Goering shrugged. "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, not 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.
There is one difference," I pointed out. "In a democracy the people have
some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the
United States, only Congress can declare war.
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."
"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter"
"Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government. Whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights."
"He, who begins by loving Christianity better than Truth, will proceed by loving his own sect or Church better than Christianity, and end loving himself better than all."
"Look back over the past, with its changing empires that rose and fell, and you can foresee the future, too."
"We now have about 18,000 people a year that die in this country, simply because they don't have health insurance. That's six 9/11s every single year"
"Military justice is to justice what military music is to music. "