Pacifists and Mideast War
The article “No Cheers From the Pacifists” (Column One, May 2) should cause many to think long and hard about nationalism. While pacifists are made to feel lonely, flag-wavers everywhere pat themselves on their collective backsides for proving to the world, once again, how a free society will voluntarily embrace fascism and Nazism. Anyone who would display a flag or vilify a pacifist should consider the response of Hermann Goering, Hitler’s deputy, at the Nuremberg Trials, when asked how otherwise normal citizens, even in a democracy, can be made to rabidly follow politicians into committing atrocities: “That is easy,” quipped Goering, “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.”
Done. And it was easy. Now all that’s left is for citizens to line the streets and cheer on the armored columns as they rumble through Hollywood, a sight the likes of which I haven’t seen since standing on the Karl Marx Allee in former East Berlin.
CHRISTOPHER J. ZUCCONI
La Mesa
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