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.
In an interview with Gilbert in Göring's jail
cell during
the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials (18 April 1946)
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