The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-02-07
By RICHARD LAKE


have been saying and suggesting
= that man is in bondage to himself
: nave said that he maintains this
bondage by means of various propa-
gandas, which keep alive and growing
: incorrect notions that man holds about
: himself. We have discussed, for in
stance, the quaint theory that the
= world is divided into good people and
? bad people; and we have noted how
I propaganda, by it's several devices,
urges one to accept the good and re-
Ject the bad, without examining the
merits of either. Or without examin-
ing them too closely.
The notion that the world is divided
into good people and bad people; that
the bad people exploit the good peo-
;ple; that the good people will win
out II they just keep on being good;
that all men are created equal: these
are kindergarten-simple illustrations
OF the useless ideas that propaganda
keeps alive in mems minds. But one
OF the most glaring examples of mans
incorrect notions about himself we
have not mentioned.
That is mans attitude toward war.
There are plenty of people puzzled
about the Dies Committee, and plenty
more bothered by unemployment and
the election in 1910; but those who
wonder what this war is all about
number by far the largest crew on this
continent. Oh, have heard the argu-
ments and explanations by which they
reassure themselves the struggle over
markets, the menace of aggressor ma
lions that must expand or perish, the |
fear of insecurity, the interest of in
dustrialists and financiers in war pro-
| fits. But when l ask them: "Can a
nation, barring invasion, be plunged
into war unless it's people, in some
measure, want to go?", they stare at
me with growing perplexity in their
eyes.
And when I ask, "If people are vic
TINS of war propaganda, must there
not be something in that propaganda
that they want to believe, at least
temporarily"
Again perplexity
Finally | ask, Don't you think that
people want war; after all?"
And then they turn on me with pro-
tests that are almost hysterical, in
haste to deny the possibility of some
thing frightening they have glimpsed. !
People everywhere assure each y
other that the United States must .
keep out of Europes war and Asia's
war. That we will keep out. Politi-
clans trumpet this sentiment; they de- y
clare solemnly that they will never
vote to send an American boy to fight u
on foreign SOIL
But all OF us have an eye cooked to
war profits, though we protest that a
we do not. A temptation too deep d
and sinful to describe aloud is pulling +"
at us. And day by day the war senti-
ment grows; the war talk grows;
The war will grows-all of it couched q
carefully in terms of peace. !.
Groups here and there discuss means L
If combating this trend toward war
Some say they will be slackers, con- y.
'cientious DIRECTORS overt agitators Is
against the war. Some say they would al
'ather go to prison than to war-ex- ~
,ept, OF course, in the case of an in III
vasion of the United States. If it is
'ointed out to them that such action 81
epresentS rebellion against the gov 70
they say that if the govern III
nent enters an aggressive war it does
ot represent the will of the people 20
We have to assume that the gov 60
does represent the will of De
he people or quit pretending we have co
democracy; but that is not the point Sd
III conscientious DIRECTORS have loi
Missed. They say eff war is de- Iii
Jared ..," forgetting that the prop III
ganda war is declared long before
ongress acts. War is not likely to 6,
e declared unless the propaganda has
cen success, and the people want
lie war. Id
The question then arises, @Can the IL
eople be sold something they do not =
anti" Your friend, the salesman, IL
i'll tell you that people can be sold =
,mething they don't need, or some 7
ling that is not good for them, but rot
at they cannot be sold something n,o
ey don't want. 90
And at this point the munitions fill,
akers and the industrialists and the CO.,,
1anciers may conclude that l am ha
BOD Guy and on Their Side. They 7
Ill embarrass me by doing so, for l o,.o
not take sides. l can appreciate ~,
cir knowledge of human psychology, COZ
It scarcely their cynicism. The Oh
ought of profits, the dream of BAN Wi,
hing unemployment and flattening ~
t the depression cycle, does not by W..
y means explain why men want u
lr at the same time that they fear no !,
d dread it. ~,
pian q iisn'ins animal ms woo
hitting heritage underlies everything is
does so completely that few of turr
are even conscious of it. Yet near t,,ro
everything that we say or do be- of.a
VS. our fighting tradition. This is IF
obvious that moments reflection 90 7
! convince any but the stupidest oIsa
it. Struggle is at the very core of n;ot
ms existence. He could not sur n;as
e without it. The virtue words at COW
head of this column express a Il =
1ainoi i.ano a ~ ouu lecte
their bold facing of frontiers; if ov
neone WI captain " 'heni ne" and
ntier they will listen, because from orr
IS are their meat ~
let man has spent much of his best bitti
ective effort working himself out livos
enemies. He has endeavored to w
Re life as dull and sitting as pos uba q,
e for as many millions as posi- IN -