Question: Hello, I'm from Seattle. We're rapidly approaching a paradigm shift, in which the approach of the oligarchy will lose control, or the economy we will be saved, or they will remain in power, and take down society with them. You've shown us the way to prevent such a collapse of the United States economy, and it would certainly work, if implemented. However, an economic collapse remains a very possible future. In the battle we're currently fighting, if lost, the war must continue. So, in the work for the world's prosperity and freedom, the battle for the United States' leadership is the most crucial strategically, at this point. If the final stage of the collapse is reached, before we are able to take power of the leadership, do you think the magnitude of such a collapse would prevent the United States from making any further progress in this war?

LaRouche: Yeah, I think it could be a disaster. That's why we have to do what we have to do.

Look, the solutions are fairly -- to me -- obvious. I think they become more and more obvious to many of you, as you go through this. The question is, it's not the lack of communication of the solutions. It's the lack of getting inside people's skin. What you have is, people say, "We-e-ell, maybe you're right." "We-e-ell, I don't know. Maybe you're right." And they walk away from the subject at that point. "Maybe you're right." "Ahh, I dunno! I dunno if I wanna believe you or not." And walk on.

To what? To where do they walk?

So, the problem here, is getting through to people, in time, to induce them to save themselves. That's our problem. It's not an easy problem, really, as you may have discovered. It's not so simple! As some people might think it should be. But anyway, that's the problem.

So, the function of leadership in society is crucial. And the function of leadership in depth, is also crucial. You know, it's not by convincing people that a certain formula is right, or this will be the right solution. That doesn't work. This idea of democracy in that sense, is nonsense. People may get ideas, but you find they don't do anything about it! A fellow sees a guy lying on the street, knows he should help him, but doesn't do anything about it. It's not that he's ignorant of the fact that this guy needs help; he's just not doing anything about it. He has no impulse to do anything about it.

Often, in things, when people know they have a responsibility, they don't respond to that. Because they don't have the feeling. "I'm sorry. I just don't feel I can do that, now" huh? "I don't feel I can do that"; "I don't feel that I can do that." It's not the cognitive part. It's not the formal cognitive part, that's the problem: It's the passion--the lack of passion. And, the essence of leadership, involves, in part, the person who's leading, not only knowledge, but passion concerning the knowledge: the will to act, in accordance with truth. Which is why the principle of truth is so important to know.

The second thing is, to lead, you must evoke that passion, in other people! The passion for the truth--not passion for some crazy goal, but passion for the truth. This inner sense of motivation.

Now, what happens, for example--this happens in military training (I guess before Donald Duck Rumsfeld got in there, but...): You would turn people as troops, into an effective unit, by developing a certain emotional sense about their joint responsibility for what they were doing. And it's true of life in general. People adopt a passion toward that. It is a passion that keeps a family together; desire to keep it together; the willingness to do things, motivated by the child; motivated by the welfare of the neighbor. Passion.

So, the problem in the United States citizen today, is not that he's stupid. He does tend to be pretty stupid--he's badly educated, what do you expect? But, the problem is passion. What's happened is, they've been brainwashed into putting their passions into what they see on a television screen, and not to other things. They have no passion for truth. So therefore, they say, "Eh! I'm lounge lizard. I'm a couch potato. I'm watching television, don't bother me!" And, what they're doing is, they're taking a spectator view of reality, and hoping that nothing bad will happen to them, or nothing will force the couch potato to get off the couch. That's our problem.

So, the problem is leadership. The problem is leadership, in the sense, of know what has to be done, understanding it; having passion for the importance of doing it. Passion also, for getting other people, to recognize having the passion, as well as the knowledge to deal with the problem. That's the difference in society. Both of which have equal knowledge: One has the passion, to carry through on the ideas; and the other one doesn't.

If our citizens are not given the passion, in the United States, to do what they should do, this thing is going to Hell. That's why the fact of this youth deployment is so effective: Because what happens, in a youth deployment--in an effective one, and I'm sure you've seen that work--you evoke a certain kind of passion. It's not a guy, you're talking to on the street, talking about this, and he walks on: No. There's a certain amount of passion involved, a certain sense of conflict. The persons you're addressing are in conflict; you're putting them in conflict with themselves. But, it's by getting into conflict with themselves, that they are now forced to choose, among passions. And say, "You're right! I'm committed!" Huh? They don't say, "You're right," and walk on. Where are they walking to? We don't know. They say, "You're right! I'm committed! What do I do?" That's passion.

And, it's the ability to exert that kind of leadership, both as what I have to do, what we all have to do: That is going to make the difference, as to whether we can save this nation, or not.

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