T. Lunde wrote:
"Of course, the elimination of war would cause the greatest depression in
economic history - all those soldiers and military suppliers would have
to
shed workers like crazy which would probably collapse our economic
system.
But the irony of an economic system that can only exist by preparing for
war, fighting wars and recuperating from wars, from any objective
viewpoint
has to indicate a mass psychological dysfunction."
1. This is not so. The existence of the military and the suppliers of
military goods can and do exist in peace time.
2. The implied idea that at a given point the entire military
establishment would be dissolved is unrealistic and unimaginative. As we
used to argue, there are many things that should be done but aren't done
because they are not profiotable to someone. By using a redefined
military establishment for this, you not only get important things done
but ease the transition of ex-miitary personnel into civilian - economic
life.
3. If it should be "proven" that our economic system really does thrive
only "by preparing for war, fighting wars, and recuperating from wars"
then the thing to do is to eliminate war, consciously let a Malthusian
chaos reign, and rebuild from the rubble. As the necessity for war is a
state-of-mond, so is the necessity-for-peace. Each can be a
self-fulfilling prophecy, but only one should be instilled in our minds.
4. The ultmate example of this way of thinking is perhaps expressed in a
book (expose?) published in 1967 by Leonard Lewin. It is entitled,
"Report from Iron Mountain on the Possibility and Desireablility of
Peace". The following is from the blurb at the back of the book:
"Report from Iron Mountain unveils a hiterto top-secret report of a
governmnet comission that was requested to explore the consequences of
lasting peace on American Society ... they had found that .... peace may
never be possible; that even if it were, it would probably be
undesireable ... that war is necessary....."
5. As the idea of the necessity for war is a state-of-mind, so is the
idea of the necessity-for-peace. Each can be a self-fulfilling prophecy,
but only one should be instilled in our minds.
Robert
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