PROTOCOL NO. 18
When it becomes necessary for us to strengthen the strict measures
of secret defence (the most fatal poison for the prestige of authority)
we shall arrange a simulation of disorders or some manifestation
of discontents finding expression through the co-operation of
good speakers. Round these speakers will assemble all who are
sympathetic to his utterances. This will give us the pretext for
domiciliary perquisitions and surveillance on the part of our
servants from among the number of the GOYIM POLICE...
As the majority of the conspirators act out of love for the game,
for the sake of talking, so, until they commit some overt act
we shall not lay a finger on them but only introduce into their
midst observation elements... It must be remembered that the prestige
of authority is lessened if it frequently discovers conspiracies
against itself: this implies a presumption of consciousness of
weakness, or, what is still worse, of injustice. You are aware
that we have broken the prestige of the goy kings by frequent
attempts upon their lives through our agents, blind sheep of our
flock, who are easily moved by a few liberal phrases to crimes
provided only they be painted in political colours. WE HAVE COMPELLED
THE RULERS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR WEAKNESS IN ADVERTISING OVERT
MEASURES OF SECRET DEFENCE AND THEREBY WE SHALL BRING THE PROMISE
OF AUTHORITY TO DESTRUCTION.
Our ruler will be secretly protected only by the most insignificant
guard, because we shall not admit so much as a thought that there
could exist against him any sedition with which he is not strong
enough to contend and is compelled to hide from it.
If we should admit this thought, as the goyim have done and are
doing, we should IPSO FACTO be signing a death sentence, if not
for our ruler, at any rate for his dynasty, at no distant date.
According to strictly enforced outward appearances our ruler will
employ his power only for the advantage of the nation and in no
wise for his own or dynastic profits. Therefore, with the observance
of this decorum, his authority will be respected and guarded by
the subjects themselves, it will receive an apotheosis in the
admission that with it is bound up the well-being of every citizen
of the State, for upon it will depend all order in the common
life of the pack...
OVERT DEFENSE OF THE KING ARGUES WEAKNESS IN THE ORGANISATION
OF HIS STRENGTH.
Our ruler will always among the people be surrounded by a mob
of apparently curious men and women, who will occupy the front
ranks about him, to all appearance by chance, and will restrain
the ranks of the rest out of respect as it will appear for good
order. This will sow an example of restraint also in others. If
a petitioner appears among the people trying to hand a petition
and forcing his way through the ranks, the first ranks must receive
the petition and before the eyes of the petitioner pass it to
the ruler, so that all may know that what is handed in reaches
its destination, that, consequently, there exists a control of
the ruler himself. The aureole of power requires for its existence
that the people may be able to say: "If the king knew of
this," or: "the king will hear of it."
WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICIAL SECRET DEFENSE THE MYSTICAL
PRESTIGE OF AUTHORITY DISAPPEARS: given a certain audacity, and
everyone counts himself master of it, the sedition-monger is conscious
of his strength, and when occasion serves watches for the moment
to make an attempt upon authority...
For the goyim we have been preaching something else, but by that
very fact we are enabled to see what measures of overt defence
have brought them to...
Criminals with us will be arrested at the first more or less well-
grounded suspicion; it cannot be allowed that out of fear of a
possible mistake an opportunity should be given of escape to persons
suspected of a political lapse or crime, for in these matters
we shall be literally merciless. If it is still possible, by stretching
a point, to admit a reconsideration of the motive causes in simple
crimes, there is no possibility of excuse for persons occupying
themselves with questions in which nobody except the government
can understand anything... And it is not all governments that
understand true policy.