http://www.snopes2.com/quotes/goering.htm (Democracies are fragile and easily manipulated.) Göring: “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. … 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.”
(Influencing public opinion is somewhat easier under a dicatorship though.)
Compare this to the political philosophy of Lee Kuan Yew: “when people say, ‘Oh, ask the people!’, it’s childish rubbish. We are leaders. We know the consequences. … They say people can think for themselves? Do you honestly believe that the chap who can’t pass primary six knows the consequences of his choice when he answers a question viscerally, on language, culture and religion? But we knew the consequences. We would starve, we would have race riots. We would disintegrate.” (source) 12:29
