08. August 2004 · Comments Off on War Quotes · Categories: War

I’ve seen the following quotes attributed to Goebbels:

This war is a defensive war. It was forced upon us by our enemies, who wish to destroy our nation. The only thing we cannot afford to lose in this war is our freedom, the foundation of our life and our future. No one has the right to complain about limitations on his personal freedom caused by the war.

Why of course the people don’t want war. But it is the leaders who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.

What I’ve never seen is the source material for these quotes. Were they from personal diaries, newspaper interviews, or Party speeches? I’m just wondering, because I’ve always wanted to read the rest of the text that was originally placed about these particular sentences.

Here’s one from Caesar:

Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor. The citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader. How do I know? For this is what I have done.

Where’s this one from?

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