If you want prescience, you can go for a much better lead time. In an interview on 18 April 1946, Gustave Gilbert held a conversation with Herman Goering, which he later published in his Nuremberg Diaries:
We got around to the subject of war again and I said that, contrary to his attitude, I did not think that the common people are very thankful for leaders who bring them war and destruction.
"Why, of course, the people don't want war," Goering shrugged. "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."
"There is one difference," I pointed out. "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."
"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."
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2008-02-12 12:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-12 12:11 am (UTC)And there's always the classic
Date: 2008-02-12 01:20 am (UTC)I consider the unfolding of events to be part of reality's war on satire writers.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 04:31 am (UTC)When first I read it, it's funny because no-one would ever do that in real life....and then it happens, and it's not so funny anymore.
I just can't cope.