Do you agree with the following quote?

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

And do you feel that the Bush administration is taking advantage of this principle?


Personally, I feel that Bush administration is living by this principle. Look at all the terror alerts that always seem to coincident with a Bush administration need for public support.

Look at the war in Iraq: if a person publically denounces it, the Bush administration denounces him as unpatriotic.

Look at the Patriot Act: if anyone fights it, they are deemed unpatriotic.

The government says we're being attacked without specifics thus increasing public support for any anti-terrorist policy, no matter how controversial.