A
ajones
Guest
"Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best 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 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. 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 peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."
- Hermann Goerring
‘
We have about 50% of the world’s wealth but only 6.3% of its’ population. This disparity is particularly great as between ourselves and the peoples of Asia. In this situation we cannot fail to be the object of envy and resentment. Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity without positive detriment to our national security. To do so, we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and day-dreaming; and our attention will have to be concentrated everywhere on our immediate national objectives. We need not deceive ourselves that we can afford today the luxury of altruism and world benefaction. [....] We should cease to talk about such vague and - for the far East - unreal objectives as human rights, the raising of living standards and democratisation. The day is not far off when we are going to have to deal in straight power concepts. The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans, the better."
- George Kennan, former Head of the US State Department Policy Planning Staff, Document PPS23, 24th February 1948, describing policy objectives as regards the Far East, though similar attitudes prevailed in most of the State Department as regards the rest of the world. Indeed Kennan, considered 'liberal' in his thinking was later fired. (
"The US must carry out some act somewhere in the world which shows its’ determination to continue to be a world power."
- Henry Kissinger, post-Vietnam blues, as quoted in The Washington Post, April 1975
"Secure supplies of energy are essential to our prosperity and security. The concentration of 65 percent of the world's known oil reserves in the Persian Gulf means we must continue to ensure reliable access to competitively priced oil and a prompt, adequate response to any major oil supply disruption."
- from 'National Security Strategy of the United States', White House publication, March 1990
I am filled with shame and anger at myself, at my cowardice, my silence, my complicity with those, who, despite their claims to the contrary, have killed hundreds of thousands of civilians, without incurring the wrath of the [war crimes] tribunal of The Hague, implacably going about their dirty, evil work.’
- Yves Bonnet, Deputy French Prime Minister, describing a recent visit to Iraq, 25th August 1995
"A US commitment to the defence of the oil resources of the gulf, and to political stability in the region constitutes one of the most vital and enduring interests of the United States."
- Conclusion of US Senator Henry Jackson's Energy and Natural Resources Committee, 1977
"The American system is the most ingenious system of control in world history. With a country so rich in natural resources, talent and labour power the system can afford to distribute just enough wealth to just enough people to limit discontent to a troublesome minority. It is a country so powerful, so big, so pleasing to so many of its’ citizens that it can afford to give freedom of dissent to the small number who are not pleased. There is no system of control with more openings, apertures, flexibilities, rewards for the chosen. […] There is none that disperses its’ control more complexly through the voting system, the work situation, the church, the family, the school, the mass media – none more successful in mollifying opposition with reforms, isolating people from one another, creating patriotic loyalty."
- Howard Zinn, from ‘A People’s History of the United States,’ first published 1981
"A US commitment to the defence of the oil resources of the gulf, and to political stability in the region constitutes one of the most vital and enduring interests of the United States."
- Conclusion of US Senator Henry Jackson's Energy and Natural Resources Committee, 1977
"It's a paradox that the UN, who authorised the use of force in the Gulf, are totally unable to stop it."
"The American military machine is in full flood....diplomacy has gone out of the window. The Americans have got the ability, with the British, to drag this out at the United Nations. They've got the ability to interpret United Nations Resolutions as they want, until they are satisfied that they have destroyed the Iraqi military machine. And it's quite clear, from talking to UN delegates here that that's absolutely what they intend to do."
"I'm up at the United Nations at the moment, which is due to go into session fifteen minutes ago and hasn't. Quite frankly the United Nations doesn't matter anymore. Somebody said to me a couple of hours ago, perhaps they should sell the building for the time being to the Japanese, and they can turn it into a pizza parlour. And they were serious."
- Keith Graves, UN correspondent for the BBC, three separate reports for BBC television news, February 27th-29th 1991
- Hermann Goerring
‘
We have about 50% of the world’s wealth but only 6.3% of its’ population. This disparity is particularly great as between ourselves and the peoples of Asia. In this situation we cannot fail to be the object of envy and resentment. Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity without positive detriment to our national security. To do so, we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and day-dreaming; and our attention will have to be concentrated everywhere on our immediate national objectives. We need not deceive ourselves that we can afford today the luxury of altruism and world benefaction. [....] We should cease to talk about such vague and - for the far East - unreal objectives as human rights, the raising of living standards and democratisation. The day is not far off when we are going to have to deal in straight power concepts. The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans, the better."
- George Kennan, former Head of the US State Department Policy Planning Staff, Document PPS23, 24th February 1948, describing policy objectives as regards the Far East, though similar attitudes prevailed in most of the State Department as regards the rest of the world. Indeed Kennan, considered 'liberal' in his thinking was later fired. (
"The US must carry out some act somewhere in the world which shows its’ determination to continue to be a world power."
- Henry Kissinger, post-Vietnam blues, as quoted in The Washington Post, April 1975
"Secure supplies of energy are essential to our prosperity and security. The concentration of 65 percent of the world's known oil reserves in the Persian Gulf means we must continue to ensure reliable access to competitively priced oil and a prompt, adequate response to any major oil supply disruption."
- from 'National Security Strategy of the United States', White House publication, March 1990
I am filled with shame and anger at myself, at my cowardice, my silence, my complicity with those, who, despite their claims to the contrary, have killed hundreds of thousands of civilians, without incurring the wrath of the [war crimes] tribunal of The Hague, implacably going about their dirty, evil work.’
- Yves Bonnet, Deputy French Prime Minister, describing a recent visit to Iraq, 25th August 1995
"A US commitment to the defence of the oil resources of the gulf, and to political stability in the region constitutes one of the most vital and enduring interests of the United States."
- Conclusion of US Senator Henry Jackson's Energy and Natural Resources Committee, 1977
"The American system is the most ingenious system of control in world history. With a country so rich in natural resources, talent and labour power the system can afford to distribute just enough wealth to just enough people to limit discontent to a troublesome minority. It is a country so powerful, so big, so pleasing to so many of its’ citizens that it can afford to give freedom of dissent to the small number who are not pleased. There is no system of control with more openings, apertures, flexibilities, rewards for the chosen. […] There is none that disperses its’ control more complexly through the voting system, the work situation, the church, the family, the school, the mass media – none more successful in mollifying opposition with reforms, isolating people from one another, creating patriotic loyalty."
- Howard Zinn, from ‘A People’s History of the United States,’ first published 1981
"A US commitment to the defence of the oil resources of the gulf, and to political stability in the region constitutes one of the most vital and enduring interests of the United States."
- Conclusion of US Senator Henry Jackson's Energy and Natural Resources Committee, 1977
"It's a paradox that the UN, who authorised the use of force in the Gulf, are totally unable to stop it."
"The American military machine is in full flood....diplomacy has gone out of the window. The Americans have got the ability, with the British, to drag this out at the United Nations. They've got the ability to interpret United Nations Resolutions as they want, until they are satisfied that they have destroyed the Iraqi military machine. And it's quite clear, from talking to UN delegates here that that's absolutely what they intend to do."
"I'm up at the United Nations at the moment, which is due to go into session fifteen minutes ago and hasn't. Quite frankly the United Nations doesn't matter anymore. Somebody said to me a couple of hours ago, perhaps they should sell the building for the time being to the Japanese, and they can turn it into a pizza parlour. And they were serious."
- Keith Graves, UN correspondent for the BBC, three separate reports for BBC television news, February 27th-29th 1991