The Necessity of War From the State's Perspective
Early in George Orwell’s dystopian novel, 1984, protagonist Winston Smith writes in his diary, “I understand HOW: I do not understand WHY.”
Sixty-four years later, neocon think-tank warriors bristling with the bravery of being out of range are realizing their dreams of perpetual war; fruition of their world-conquest manifesto, Project for the New American Century 1. For humanity it’s all translating into a nightmare with no waking up.
If we step back from mainstream-media sweet talk about freedom and liberty, democracy, government of, by and for the People, human rights, “humanitarian” interventions...we might better see the roots of perpetual war.
Mainstream corporate media calls what is essentially perception management, news.
Regarding HOW:
The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.— H. L. Mencken 2Hobgoblins come in many varieties. Among the most enduring are inanimate menaces such as communism, socialism, environmentalism, Islam, other nations’ weapons of mass destruction; and there’s Cuba, Serbia, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Lebanon, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Russia, North Korea, Venezuela—essentially, any nation not yet under Washington’s thumb....
Report from Iron Mountain
They were called the “Special Study Group”. Fifteen anonymous men, experts of diverse disciplines; social and natural sciences, humanities, law, business, communications theory, systems analysis, international relations, war planning....War is not, as is widely assumed, primarily an instrument of policy utilized by nations to extend or defend their expressed political values or their economic interests. On the contrary, it is itself the principal basis of organization on which all modern societies are constructed. The common proximate cause of war is the apparent interference of one nation with the aspirations of another. But at the root of all ostensible differences of national interest lie the dynamic requirements of the war system itself for periodic armed conflict. Readiness for war characterizes contemporary social systems more broadly than their economic and political structures, which it subsumes.They are leading up to saying that before consideration of a peace scenario, it must be recognized that war is the foundation of our social systems. The nature of the war system, and the functions it performs for society must be explicitly understood, and replacements for those crucial functions must be ready before any abandonment of the war system is contemplated; before peace could ever work.
Economically, war has throughout history stabilized and provided a system for controlling national economies.
Politically, war, and the permanent possibility of war have been basic to stable government while propagating acceptance of political authority, maintaining “necessary” class distinctions, and subordinating citizens to the state. The Report claims that without sustaining credible threats of war, no modern rulers have been able to maintain proper control.
Sociologically, war, and presence of military institutions have throughout history helped control social dissidence and antisocial behaviors while promoting binding social allegiance and social cohesion.
Ecologically, war has been indispensable for balancing population with available supply of food and other essentials.
Culturally and Scientifically, war culture has shaped values in the creative arts, as well as motivating advances in science and technology.Essentially, The Report insists that without war, modern civilization would fall apart—unless substitutes can be devised to replace the functions of war summarized above.
Economic – Expenditures of resources for “completely nonproductive purposes” must be at a level similar to that achieved by war, must remain independent of the existing supply-and-demand economy, and must be under arbitrary political control.
Political – A “generalized external menace” must be maintained to promote acceptance of political authority.
Sociological – Institutions must be developed to maintain public fear of “personal destruction” the war system provides; fear that promotes adherence to societal values, and acceptance of the transcendence of such values over individual lives.
Ecological – Population control must be maintained to keep humans from threatening the species by reproducing beyond the carrying capacity of Earth’s biosphere.
Cultural and Scientific – Establishment of “a basis for sociomoral conflict” as powerful as war provides is important for determination of cultural values. Also, there must be a “sense of internal necessity” to motivate the quest for scientific knowledge.Under SUBSTITUTES FOR THE FUNCTIONS OF WAR: MODELS, The Report effectively, if obliquely, fleshes out fundamentals of WHY we have perpetual war.
— “A comprehensive social-welfare program, directed toward maximum improvement of human life.”
— “A giant open-end space research program, aimed at unreachable targets.”
— “A permanent, ritualized, ultra-elaborate disarmament inspection system, and variants of such a system.”Four suggestions in the political arena:
— “An omnipresent, virtually omnipotent international police force.”
— “An established and recognized extraterrestrial menace.”
— “Massive global environmental pollution.”
— “Fictitious alternate enemies.”The section of sociological surrogates has six entries, two under CONTROL FUNCTION:
— “Programs generally derived from the Peace Corps model.”
— “A modern, sophisticated form of slavery.”And under MOTIVATIONAL FUNCTION:
— “Intensified environmental pollution.”
— “New religions or other mythologies.”
— “Socially oriented blood games.”
— “Combination forms.”The only ecological listing:
— “A comprehensive program of applied eugenics.”No replacements are suggested in the cultural arena.
— “The secondary requirements of the space research, social welfare, and/or eugenics programs.”The Group rounds out the SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS section of The Report with the caveat: “The models listed above reflect only the beginning of the quest for substitute institutions for the functions of war....”
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back to bondage.As deeply as we have sunk into apathy, dependence is breathing down our necks. And the “New World Order” sounds like a euphemism for bondage.
Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious.
Next time you hear the word “peace” squeak from between the lips of someone lying for your vote, remember The Report from Iron Mountain.
Notes
1 Project for the New American Century: http://www.newamericancentury.org
2 H.L. Mencken quotes: http://www.brainyquote.com/
3 Obama on the "killing of Osama bin Laden": http://www.youtube.com/watch?
4 The book, The Report from Iron Mountain: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Report_from_Iron_Mountain
5 Leonard Lewin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_C._Lewin
6 TopTenz.net list of most controversial books: http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-controversial-books.php
7 Complete text of the Report from Iron Mountain: http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/iron_mountain_full.htm