"We can do without butter, but, despite all our love of peace, not without arms. One cannot shoot with butter, but with guns"

The quote by Joseph Goebbels, a popular figure in Nazi Germany as Adolf Hitler's Minister of Propaganda, encapsulates the program's prioritization of military strength and readiness over civilian conveniences and needs. Goebbels successfully interacts a doctrine of militarism and national readiness, suggesting that product sacrifices, particularly those associated to civilian products like butter, are justified in the service of nationwide defense and military capability.

In this quote, "We can do without butter, but, regardless of all our love of peace, not without arms", Goebbels is asserting that throughout times of dispute or threats to national security, it is necessary to focus on weaponry and military resources over civilian luxuries or conveniences. "Butter" symbolically represents civilian daily needs and conveniences, while "arms" denote military strength and capacity for warfare. The expression "despite all our love of peace" suggests a veneer of remorse or hesitation, implying that the desire for peace must be reserved when it disputes with the perceived need of militarization.

The latter part of the statement, "One can not shoot with butter, but with weapons", highlights a practical, if plain, truth from the perspective of the program: that military tools and weapons are important for defense and hostility, unlike civilian products, which can be foregone in a crisis. This sentiment shows a broader ideology that was prevalent in Nazi Germany, where the idea of sacrifice for the country's higher good, especially in the context of military undertakings, took precedence over private or civilian needs.

Goebbels' quote likewise functions as a rhetorical strategy created to emotionally prepare and condition the German populace for sacrifices and hardships, framing them within a narrative of defensive need and patriotic duty. It articulates an implicit argument that security and military preparedness can not be jeopardized, even at the expenditure of civilian wellness, thereby strengthening the regime's militaristic and authoritarian policy program.