Something to think about...

"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. 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 greater danger."

-- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials

amazing that he was so candid- and that so few listened.

"It can't happen here!"

It did...ironically about the same time he spoke those words.

Partly why I posted this, today...

I just got it from a good friend...

And thought it worth passing on...

it has worked before
and will work again.

:hi: CalPeg!

It sounds familiar, doesn't it?

:hi: back atcha citizen_jane!

So it's no surprise that the Bush regime was successful in conning much of the country. What's really disturbing now is to see what kind of guys are running on the Republican side ~ obviously, no lessons learned.

It worked before, and so perhaps it will continue to work for them...

We haven't given them any reason to think otherwise, after all...

...and won't be so easily snowed this time. Otherwise...well, I can't even go there.

And hammer it into them over and over...

Because, if they are snowed this time...

The game will be over, and there will be no going back, not in our lifetimes...if ever...

I'm voting for Kucinich in the primary, because he is so adamantly anti-war...

But he hasn't, as far as I know, talked about using terror in this way...

What do you think?

He doesn't talk about using terror like this ~ nobody does. Since Obama was against the war from the beginning, he would be smart to give some speeches about this, though maybe it's a general election topic.

Our primary is too late to make a difference, so I'm just taking it all in.

We should have this printed out and put on everything that doesn't move!

Thank you so much...

I appreciate your vote!

I agree about printing this out and posting it everywhere!

denounced as being inappropriate, or over-the-top, or a mustn't-go-there, or an oh-for-heaven's-sakes,-come-ON-now. That when you invoke the "H"-word, an "H"-bomb, if you will, you're just really overdoing it and showing terribly poor, crass, gauche, hyperbolic taste, and shame on you anyway!

I disagree. I think it's a reasonable subject to bring up. As they say on NPR, "All Things Considered." I don't think it's such an unreasonable, extreme, outer-limits discussion to have. At the rate the regression - in politics, human discourse, and the social condition in this country - has proceeded, it's not at all out of the question to start discussing worst-case scenarios and what to do about them, how to anticipate them, how to head them off, how to blunt their impact if they take hold, and other topics. Not a thing wrong with it. It is ENTIRELY relevant to the discusion now.

It would be the mark of good, responsible citizenship, I think, to study the worst-case scenarios of the past - a mere two generations ago in the case of Hitler. You know, that stuff about not studying history and being doomed to repeat its mistakes? Better start kicking this around and better start doing so NOW. You don't necessarily have to be a conspiracy nut to find more than the comfortable amount of "coincidences" between what played out in Germany before and during World War II and what's been playing out here just in the last seven years.

I will never forget attending a "DNC Listening Session" held in January 2005 when the big bone of contention was who should be the new party chair (it was about 98 percent for Howard Dean). The L.A. event was downtown in an old building called "Patriotic Hall" with a lot of museum-like displays of memorabilia of the military of yesteryear all over the lobby. The auditorium was quite literally packed. Standing room only, and there were so many of us hoping to get our turn at a two minute comment that they ran out of time when only half the attendees had spoken. Hundreds of people there.

And there was this one old gent who'd come up from 20 miles away by bus who took the microphone and spoke, and he had everyone utterly riveted. He said he was old enough to remember back when Fascism was getting its start in Europe. He said he could see the same things starting in America now. You coulda heard the proverbial pin drop, followed by a fair amount of audible sucking of air. We looked around at each other and shared that general look you get when you can feel the hair standing up on the back of your neck. That was January 2005. We're two years beyond that now. I think it's high time we started talking about it, ugly a subject as it is. It's long since begun rearing its ugly head again.

I agree that we are way overdue to talk about how we're well on the road to fascism here...

We do not want to repeat that bit of history...

We want to consign it to the dustbin!

If I could rec your post, I would.

Thanks so much for this post!

:thumbsup::kick:

I thought this quote was important enough to post today...

"Below is a listing of the quotes..."
http://antiwar.com/quotes.php#1033

There are so many wonderful quotes there...

:patriot:

of this, using specifics rather than generalities.

maybe I overplay it, but I don't like the tone of it, particularly the last line.

"As to the American people, this is a difficult question. The vast majority of people are concerned about what is going on in Iraq. This will make the American people reticent toward going for Iran. But I think the American people are smart if they are told the truth, and if they trust their president. So Americans can be educated to come along with what needs to be done with Iran."

That is disturbing...

You didn't say who said it...

Sounds like a Republican to me...

I hope it is!

otherwise, I'll post the source Tuesday. I will say that it is a Democrat.

But... a Democrat?

Maybe a DINO?

Good grief...

Well, I can wait this one out...

You could always PM me the answer...;)

Senator John Edwards.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Edwards_Iran_must_know_world_wont_0123.html

But it's funny...

As soon as I saw it was Edwards, my mind immediately put a positive spin on the previously scary quote...

It wasn't even a conscious choice for me.

My thought just appeared spontaneously...

Because I trust John Edwards, and I don't think he would mean to do anything harmful here...

Thank you!

He could make people smile. At the beginning of his trial, he seemed to be in control. He knew how to work the crowd.

But he was convicted and sentenced to death. Knowing there was no escape, he took a cyanide pill that someone had smuggled in to his cell.

It's not as easy as he thought, either for the guilty to go free, or for leaders to control the people in a democracy.

Thank you for your historical perspective...

Your last line is very hopeful, IMHO...

I hope we will not be controlled...

How sadly true that is.

Once you reach that point, public outrage must come from those who know it's wrong and that the government is lying. And not many people do.

Indeed, you're right...

And too many people trust the government to always tell the truth as well...

Trust, but verify...