“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. …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 to 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.”
Does that sound like something someone said recently (or recent events)?
That’s a quote from Hermann Göring from 1946, as recorded in Gilbert’s Nuremberg Diary…
hmmm.
Jo
adventures in the here now 
I am just finishing In the Garden of Beasts, so this sounds very familiar. Times haven’t changed that much, I guess. :-/