"She discovered that a great deal of the suffering in this world is
due not so much to original sin, but to a kind of original stupidity,
an unimaginative, stubborn stupidity. People were dishonest
because they believed, wrongly, that dishonesty was somehow
successful. They were cruel because they supposed that repulsive
exhibitions of power inspired a prolonged fear... [She] tried to point
out... the natural goodness of mankind when uncorrupted by a
false education"

Pearl Mary-Teresa Craigie
from an essay about George Sand

"Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia,
nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood.
But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine 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 to 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."

Hermann Goering, Nazi leader, April 18, 1946
excerpted from Nuremburg Diary by Gustave M. Gilbert