I was sitting around on the porch readin' George Orwell's 1984(again) and came across this paragraph:
The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but of the products of human labor. War is a way of shattering into pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking into the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable, and hence, in the long run, too intelligent.
So, to me, after reading that, and comparing it to what our lives are like now, I'm fairly well convinced that isn't just western society that has problems with the so-called military/industrial complexes. I'm fairly certain that all certain "inner party" sides/factions/sects...etc, are profiting from death and destruction in today's wars over religion, resources, and ideology. And not just the "good guys"...whomever your good guys happen to be.
So, are we all still being used, much like a landed noble might have used the commoners a thousand years ago?
Or, have I just had too many beers, and I'm getting Orwell's message wrong?
Thoughts?
The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but of the products of human labor. War is a way of shattering into pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking into the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable, and hence, in the long run, too intelligent.
So, to me, after reading that, and comparing it to what our lives are like now, I'm fairly well convinced that isn't just western society that has problems with the so-called military/industrial complexes. I'm fairly certain that all certain "inner party" sides/factions/sects...etc, are profiting from death and destruction in today's wars over religion, resources, and ideology. And not just the "good guys"...whomever your good guys happen to be.
So, are we all still being used, much like a landed noble might have used the commoners a thousand years ago?
Or, have I just had too many beers, and I'm getting Orwell's message wrong?
Thoughts?