Weaponized Patriotism: The Goering Quote That Explains Everything

This administration has no qualms about blatantly using patriotism as a political tool, effectively squashing any discussion or oversight of its foreign policy. To me that's scary. I think these quotes sum it up best:

From Hermann Goering, one of the highest ranking Nazi officers to be captured alive by the Allies, as interviewed by Gustave Gilbert (Nuremberg Diary):

We got around to the subject of war again and I said that, contrary to his attitude, I did not think that the common people are very thankful for leaders who bring them war and destruction.

"Why, of course, the people don't want war," Goering shrugged. "Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that 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 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."

"There is one difference," I pointed out. "In a democracy the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars."

"Oh, that is all well and good, but, 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 pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."

Our National Dialogue on Terrorism

As illustrated by Al Franken (Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, pg. 123):

Why do they hate us?
They hate us because they're evil.
That's it, huh? That's the entire story?
Yes, they are evil. And they hate us because of our freedoms.
They hate because of our freedoms?
But really because they are evil.
I know they're evil, I was just thinking that maybe if we understood what specifically seemed to trigger the —
Why are you apologizing for the terrorists?
I'm not. They're evil. You have no quarrel there. It's just maybe if we understood —
Why are you on the terrorists' side?
I'm not! I hate the terrorists. I was just saying we might be able to prevent the next —
Three thousand Americans dead. How can you defend Al Qaeda?
Believe me, I'm not defending them. What they did was horrific and inexcusable. They're evil. I was just —
Then why are you apologizing for them?
I'm not. I'm trying to say that maybe there are lessons we can —
Why do you hate America?