Are Americans Too Quick to Buy Inflammatory Rhetoric?

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? 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.”

Military psychologist Gustave 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.”

Göring: “Oh, that is all well and good, but, 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 way in any country.”

This is an excerpt from the Nuremberg trials held after the defeat of the Nazis in 1945. Hermann Göring was on trial for war crimes. While he was undoubtedly a monster, he had an excellent grasp on how to manipulate the masses.

“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.”

What concerns me the most about this is how little people have changed in 70 years. You’d think with the advent of the Information Age and immediate access to research these tactics wouldn’t work in America anymore. Well, they still seem to. The American people are still buying into this inflammatory type of rhetoric and are therefore missing the points that really matter. As I listen to the majority of our politicians on the campaign trail, I can’t help but think back to the above quote from Göring.

No matter which political party is speaking, we are told that:

• “The other side” is to blame for all of our woes, and is at fault for where we find ourselves today.

• If “the other side” gets into office, our country will go straight down the tubes.

• “The other side” is unpatriotic, dangerous, misguided or out to take away your hard-earned (fill in the blank).

I wish someone would make a law that candidates could only talk about their own accomplishments (which could then be verified by the media, à la Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson) and what they would seek to accomplish if elected.  Stop telling me about the supposed horrors that would be unleashed should “the other guy” make it into office. I’m not falling for it.

Oh, and these tactics are not just used by our political candidates and parties, you can hear their ring in various organizations' debates over gay marriage, abortion, etc. So many “causes” seem to employ the same tactics these days, and people keep falling for them.

I have heard it said that tactics like these are used to keep the people focused on “diversionary” issues. In other words, the goal is to keep the people so wrapped up in the fight against the "bad guys" that they don’t notice, or have no time left to pay attention to, what the "powers that be" are doing. Then, by the time we notice what they are doing, it’s too late. The "powers that be” don’t want the real problems solved, because they are the problems.

And then there’s big business. Don’t we constantly hear about how big business does what benefits big business — and usually to the detriment of the public? As examples, look to Exxon, Monsanto and just about anybody on Wall Street. So they start the “there’s too much regulation from Washington” campaign and people focus on Washington, taking the attention off big business.

How do we fix this? Actually, it’s quite simple. Stop allowing ourselves to be manipulated and misdirected away from the real "bad guys," the establishment and big corporate America.

Let’s take Congress as an example. We’ve already been given solutions that would truly make a difference in our nation, but these solutions haven’t gained any traction because we’ve allowed our attention to be diverted to the “battle du jour,” which typically ends up being moral or political in nature because those issues really get people’s blood boiling.

A popular urban legend holds that Warren Buffet proposed the “Congressional Reform Act of 2011” as a way to reel Congress back in and restore some sanity there.

1. No tenure / no pension. A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.
2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of  CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

Even though it's not true, the points still stand. And I’ll add No. 8: Get big money out of politics once and for all.

Of course, none of this will happen. And why not? Could it be because “We the People” were well-manipulated into arguments and debates over issues that leave the “powers that be” alone and in power? Was our focus expertly diverted from issues that would actually improve the condition of our country to battles over personal preference? Were people too busy responding to the clarion call of “defend your favorite issue” to pay attention?

Of course, I’m not comparing anyone to Hitler, nor implying that anyone’s goals are anywhere near the level of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust. Although listening to some politician’s absurd statements offered up about their “opponents,” you’d think that’s exactly what was going to happen if the “other guys” get elected.

What I am saying is that big business and many in our government are employing the same tactics that have been used throughout history to rile up the populace to such a point that they can’t think straight. They are being told that “the other side” is to blame for all their woes, and that if this or that political party doesn’t win, the country is going to go right down the tubes.

Well, the two sides in this ‘war’ aren’t the Republicans and the Democrats, it's “We the People” and the establishment. But be a good little citizen and don’t focus on the real "bad guys," only pay attention to what they tell you to pay attention to.