Long run Quote by George Orwell
““The problem was how to keep the wheels of industry turning without increasing the real wealth of the world. Goods must be produced, but they must not be distributed. And in practice the only way of achieving this was by continuous warfare. 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 to pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking in 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. Even when weapons of war are not actually destroyed, their manufacture is still a convenient way of expending labor power without producing anything that can be consumed. A””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Politics of War” (unpublished manuscript, 1940s)
War is used to consume labor and prevent wealth from improving living standards, keeping societies dependent.
In simple terms: War as economic control.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how conflict can serve economic interests.
Themes
economics
war
politics
power
Mood
analytical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- political analysis
- academic study
- policy debate
Key Concepts
resource allocation
military-industrial complex
social control
Questions to Reflect On
- What modern examples illustrate this view?
- How can societies break the link between war and profit?
A Different Perspective
The argument may overgeneralize complex economic factors.
![“[U]nless oppressed groups stick together, and on alliances of self interest rather than do-goodism; nothing can be accomplished in the long run to dismantle the apparatus of oppression.” quote by Shulamith Firestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d7b/shulamith-firestone-12980_accomplished_u-nless-oppressed-groups-stick-together_5485.jpg)
