Further, any way of life based on the importation of…
““Further, any way of life based on the importation of resources is also functionally based on violence, because if your way of life requires the importation of resources, trade will never be sufficiently reliable: if people in the next watershed over won't trade you for some necessary resource, you will take it, because you need it. So, to bring this to the present, we could all become enlightened, and the US military would still have to be huge: how else will they get access to the oil they need to run the economy, oil that just happens to lie under someone else's land? The point is that no matter what we think of the irredeemability of this culture's mass psychology or system of rewards, this culture–civilization–is also irredeemable on a purely functional level.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The quote argues that societies reliant on imported resources inherently depend on violence to secure those resources, making large militaries unavoidable and the system fundamentally irredeemable.
In simple terms: Dependence on imports forces violence and endless militarism.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the hidden costs of resource dependence.
Themes
politics
economics
violence
environment
military
culture
Mood
critical
concerned
reflective
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- energy policy
- foreign policy
- defense budgeting
- environmental activism
- academic research
Key Concepts
resource dependency
geopolitics
systemic violence
imperialism
sustainability
Questions to Reflect On
- Can we redesign economies to eliminate resource‑driven conflict?
- What policies could reduce militaristic reliance on oil?
A Different Perspective
It overlooks potential for cooperative resource sharing and renewable alternatives.