--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The war is not meant to be won, it is…" description: "\"“The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous. Hierarchical society is only possible on the basis of poverty and ignorance. This new ve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/george-orwell-57_peace_the-war-is-not-meant-to-be-won-it-is-mea_2791044.jpg" --- # The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be… ![“The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous. Hierarchical society is only possible on the basis of poverty and ignorance. This new version is the past and no different past can ever have existed. In principle the war effort is always planned to keep society on the brink of…” quote by George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/george-orwell-57_peace_the-war-is-not-meant-to-be-won-it-is-mea_2791044.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/george-orwell-57_peace_the-war-is-not-meant-to-be-won-it-is-mea_2791044.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/george-orwell-57_peace_the-war-is-not-meant-to-be-won-it-is-mea_2791044.jpg) > ““The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous. Hierarchical society is only possible on the basis of poverty and ignorance. This new version is the past and no different past can ever have existed. In principle the war effort is always planned to keep society on the brink of starvation. The war is waged by the ruling group against its own subjects and its object is not the victory over either Eurasia or East Asia, but to keep the very structure of society intact.”” [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War is perpetual, serving to keep societies impoverished and ignorant, preserving hierarchical power. **In simple terms:** War sustains inequality and control. Key Takeaway Question the motives behind conflict. Themes power war inequality control Mood critical analytical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - government policy - media narratives - activism - education Key Concepts political economy social hierarchy Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports war as a tool of control? - Can conflict ever be justified ethically? A Different Perspective War may also be a tool for genuine defense, not solely oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Principle War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principle-war-655337/) [Starvation War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starvation-war-1192407/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-effort-349320/) [War Meant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-meant-2345917/) [War Waged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-waged/) ## Related quotes > [“It's not a matter of whether the war is not real, or if it is, Victory is not possible. 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Hit the other fellow, as quickly as you can, as hard as you can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-only-one-principle-of-war-and-that-s-this-hit-the-other/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The natural principle of war is to do the most harm to our enemy with the least harm to ourselves; and this of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/the-natural-principle-of-war-is-to-do-the-most-harm-to-our-enemy-with/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [The unknown is the governing principle of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-foch/the-unknown-is-the-governing-principle-of-war/) [Ferdinand Foch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-foch/) > [We've committed many war crimes in Vietnam - but I'll tell you something interesting about that. We were committing war crimes in World War…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/we-ve-committed-many-war-crimes-in-vietnam-but-i-ll-tell-you/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [“The classical soldier’s beliefs and behavior patterns are all summarized in the central theme of Clausewitz, who tells us that his study of war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-wylie/the-classical-soldier-s-beliefs-and-behavior-patterns-are-all/) [J.C. Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-wylie/) ## More by George Orwell > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [It was given out that the animals there practised cannibalism, tortured one another with red-hot horseshoes, and had their females in common. This was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/it-was-given-out-that-the-animals-there-practised-cannibalism/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“The actual writing would be easy. 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In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/don-t-you-see-that-the-whole-aim-of-newspeak-is-to-narrow-the-range/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Windmill or no windmill, he said, life would go on as it had always gone on--that is, badly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/windmill-or-no-windmill-he-said-life-would-go-on-as-it-had-always/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/man-is-the-only-creature-that-consumes-without-producing-he-does-not/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [And the bigger the fall, the bigger the joke. It would be better fun to throw a custard pie at a bishop than at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/and-the-bigger-the-fall-the-bigger-the-joke-it-would-be-better-fun-to/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“Any writer or journalist who wants to retain his integrity finds himself thwarted by the general drift of society rather than by active persecution.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/any-writer-or-journalist-who-wants-to-retain-his-integrity-finds/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) [Explore all 1,657 George Orwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) ## More Peace quotes > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. 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A truly brave man is ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inazo-nitobe/tranquillity-is-courage-in-repose-it-is-a-statical-manifestation-of/) [Inazo Nitobe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inazo-nitobe/) > [“There is no fortune greater than peace; there is no force greater than peace; there is no excellent tapas greater than peace; there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muruganar/there-is-no-fortune-greater-than-peace-there-is-no-force-greater-than/) [Muruganar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muruganar/) > [Give me love, give me peace on earth, give me light, give me life, keep me free from birth, give me hope, help me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/give-me-love-give-me-peace-on-earth-give-me-light-give-me-life-keep/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. 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