From Paul Rosenberg at freemansperspective.com:
I’ve been working on collections of quotes lately, and I have one more that I’d like to present… this one on the thoughts of rulers.
For a number of years I’ve been telling people that the incentives faced by productive people and the incentives facing rulers (of whatever stripe) are very, very different. This list, I believe, will make that point.
You’ll find quotes from ‘bad’ rulers on this list, of course, but also some from the ‘good’ rulers. And please note that the ‘bad’ ones are very often held in high regard in their times. Joseph Stalin, for example – the #2 most prolific killer in all of human history – was the ‘great ally’ of the US in World War II and was routinely presented to the American public as “Uncle Joe.”
So, beginning with Uncle Joe, here are the things that rulers believe:
Joseph Stalin
Education is a weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed.
Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas?
Gratitude is a sickness suffered by dogs.
Mao Zedong
The cult of xenophobia is the cheapest and surest method of obtaining from the masses the ignorant and savage patriotism, which puts the blame for every political folly or social misfortune upon the foreigner.
Adolf Hitler
Terrorism is the best political weapon, for nothing drives people harder than a fear of sudden death.
I have not come into this world to make men better, but to make use of their weaknesses.
What good fortune for those in power that people do not think.
I have sympathy for Mr. Roosevelt, because he marches straight toward his objectives over Congress, lobbies and bureaucracy.
[I]n the simplicity of their minds, [people] more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie… It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have such impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and continue to think that there may be some other explanation.
Hermann Göring
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… But… 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 way in any country.
To continue reading: What Rulers Believe
