Herman Goering, leading the people to war

Herman Goering said people do not want war but they can be led to war simply by telling them they are in danger. I partly disagree. I think many people want war. Others have to be led to war. During the beginning of the Iraq war most Americans were in favor of the invasion. There was flag waving and tribalism fevor at its highest pitch. Three years later more than half of Americans think the invasion and occupation of Iraq was a mistake. In a few more years a presidential candidate will run on a platform of, "I will bring the troops home from Iraq!"

Many people do not want war, but there are always enough young men willing to volunteer, and march off to the sounds of bugles, and the promises of kisses from young maidens. These are enough to form a fighting force. Then there is the military, industrial, labor complex, and all the other war profiteers, and religious zealots who are doing God's work; the seamstress who makes military clothing, the drug industry who makes pain medicine, the funeral services industry who buries the dead soldiers, the VA employees who care for the wounded, and the biggest lover of war is the State. During war the State gains power and sells itself as being indispensable. Soon those who do not want war are dragged along.

Are war presidents reelected? Many are. Are most men who want war irrational? Maybe not. Lincoln and other war presidents were re-elected. Wilson who said he would not go to war, did, then was reelected anyway. The only president I recall loosing office over war was LBJ, only because he decided not to run for reelection. Maybe Harry Truman also who chose not to run for reelection. After WW II people were war weary and not ready for the Korean War. They probably were afraid Harry would drop another WMD, this time on North Korea. Even Bush One may have lost re-election because he did not continue on to Baghdad, like a good war president should.

Bilbo Baggins