in case there are any Australian "swinging voters" reading this thread ...

:-)

" .. In "The Nuremberg Diary", Gilbert recorded a conversation he had with Hermann Goering on Easter break, 1946:

Goering: Why, of course, the people don't want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece?

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.

Gilbert: There is one difference. In a democracy the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars.

Goering: 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 danger. It works the same in any country. ..."

" ... G.M. Gilbert was an American intelligence officer. He was also the prison psychologist during the Nuremberg trials after World War II, with unlimited free access to the top Nazi officers throughout the trial. He recorded his conversations in "The Nuremberg Diary," still in print today. You can get it at http://amazon.com and http://bn.com . Here's a review:
http://www.history-europe.com/Nuremberg_Diary_0306806614.html ..."

(BTW, I found this on Bob Webster's "Junkmail" e-zine)

Cheers! R-J