A disturbing thought

Yesterday I ran across a quotation from Herman Goering following the end of World War II. During the time he was at Nuremburg for his war crimes trial, Goering commented on the ease with which the Nazis were able to convince Germans that the war was just.


“Of course the people don’t want war,” Goering said. “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.”


You won't find these words in the transcript of the trial at which Goering was found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to death. He did not speak them when he was on the witness stand. But he did speak them. Goering’s comments were made privately to Gustave Gilbert, a German-speaking intelligence officer and psychologist who was granted free access by the Allies to all the prisoners held in the Nuremberg jail. Gilbert kept a journal of his observations of the proceedings and his conversations with the prisoners, which he later published in the book Nuremberg Diary. The quote offered above was part of a conversation Gilbert held with a dejected Hermann Goering in his cell on the evening of 18 April 1946, as the trials were halted for a three-day Easter recess.
(Source: http://www.snopes.com/quotes/goering.htm)

Is it possible that the United States will be considerd to be guilty of war crimes because of the war in Iraq? If so, will George Bush, Richard Cheney, et al., be tried for their behavior?

For many decades we’ve said “It can’t happen here!” How sure are we?

The graphic shown above is available as a mouse pad or a wall poster at: http://www.cafepress.com/bushremover/417451