Above the Law

President Bush signed a bill giving phone companies immunity for letting the government spy on its customers without a warrant (as required by law). Isn’t that unbelievable? President Bush said 9/11 changed everything. And you know, he’s right, because violating the Constitution and breaking the law used to mean jail time. Apparently no more.
— Jay Leno, The Tonight Show
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080715/cm_thenation/4336892 

Naturally, the common people don’t want war … but after all it is the leaders of a 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. 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 every country.
- Hermann Goering
http://www.snopes.com/quotes/goering.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Goering