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War is the Health of the State (1918)

  • Article
  • 2021
  • #Politicalphilosophy
Randolph Bourne
@RandolphBourne
(Author)
www.panarchy.org
Read on www.panarchy.org
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War is the health of the State. It automatically sets in motion throughout society those irresistible forces for uniformity, for passionate co-operation with the Government in coerc... Show More

War is the health of the State.
It automatically sets in motion throughout society those irresistible forces for uniformity, for passionate co-operation with the Government in coercing into obedience the minority groups and individuals which lack the larger herd sense. The machinery of government sets and enforces the drastic penalties, the minorities are either intimidated into silence or brought slowly around by a subtle process of persuasion which may seem to them to really converting them. Of course the ideal of perfect loyalty, perfect uniformity is never attained. The classes upon whom the amateur work of coercion falls are unwearied in their zeal but often their agitation instead of converting, merely serves to stiffen their resistance. Minorities are rendered sullen, and some intellectual opinion, bitter and satirical. But in general, the nation in war-time attains a uniformity of feeling, a hierarchy of values, culminated at the undisputed apex of the State ideal, which could not possibly be produced trough any other agency than war.

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Vijay Boyapati @real_vijay ยท Mar 17, 2022
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The beginning of an essay written by the brilliant Randolph Bourne, commenting on World War 1 in 1918. Read the whole thing; like all great writing it stands the tests of time.
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