Sometimes we’re living in a time loop.
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. – George Santayana
After WWll in the German city of Nuremberg, trials of the surviving Nazis were held for the most serious of war crimes. Nazi Reichmarshall and Luftwaffe-Chief Hermann Göring was interviewed by german speaking psychologist and intelligence officer Gustave Gilbert who had free access to the prisoners during the trials for private conversations. Although he was not the propaganda minister, a job left for Joseph Goebbels, he did know the power of it for manipulating the population.
Gilbert : We got around to the subject of war again and I said that contrary to his attitude, I did not think that the common people are very thankful for leaders who bring them war and destruction.
Göring : Why of course the people don’t want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm what 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 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 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.Gilbert, G.M. Nuremberg Diary.
New York: Farrar,
Straus and Company,
1947 (pp. 279)
Sound a little familiar.
Just consider and wonder about these words as you watch, listen and read the main stream media as it floods you with messages day in and out.
This reading is by Dan Carlin from his series “Ghost of the Ostfront” about the Eastern Front during WWll. If you want to listen to the full episodes of and really get to grips with the harsh reality of what went on I can’t recommend the series enough, along with all the other great Hard Core History episodes.
