Mein Kampf
Once let a nation’s leaders be such wretches as these, and retribution will be swift. People will no longer have the courage for any decisive action, and will rather accept any dishonor, no matter how abject, than pull themselves together for a decision; after all, there is no one left who is ready on his own responsibility to stake himself and his head upon the carrying through of a ruthless decision.
One thing we must never forget: here too, a majority can never replace a man. It always represents stupidity as well as cowardice. And a hundred cowards do not mean a heroic resolve, any more than a hundred blockheads make one wise man.
But the less the responsibility of the individual leader is, the larger will grow the number who feel called upon, even with the most wretched gifts, to devote their immortal powers to the nation. In fact they will be quite unable to wait for their turn; they stand in a long queue, regretfully counting the people ahead of them in line, and almost calculating the minutes which in human likelihood may bring them to the train. Hence they long for any change in the office on which they have fixed their eye, and are grateful for any scandal which thins the ranks ahead. If on occasion someone refuses to move from the post he has taken, they feel this almost as a breach of a sacred compact of common solidarity. Then they grow spiteful, and do not rest until the bold fellow, overthrown at last, puts himself at the public disposal. And after that he will not soon occupy his position again. For if one of these creatures is forced to give up his post, he will at once try to crowd into the queue of those who are waiting, unless he is prevented by the yelling and abuse which the others set up.
The result is an alarming rapid change in the important posts and offices of such a state—a result always unfortunate and often absolutely catastrophic. For not merely blockheads and incompetents will be the victims of this custom, but even more the real leader, if Fate can still manage to put one in this position. The moment people recognize him they form a united front for resistance, particularly if a real brain presumes to intrude on this ex-
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