Children Quote by Iain M. Banks
““Empire had a clutch of missiles which were generally reckoned to be inoperable, and probably were politically unusable anyway because they were supposed to be nuclear-tipped. Public opinion in the Cluster could tolerate the technologically enhanced continuation of a pointless war so long as men, women and children died in relatively small, regular batches, but the thought of a million or so being incinerated at once, nuked in a city, was not to be tolerated.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Player of Games, Culture series, 1988
War can be normalized when its casualties are small and incremental, but mass destruction triggers moral revulsion.
In simple terms: Small losses become acceptable; massive loss is intolerable.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how scale shapes public tolerance of violence.
Themes
war
morality
public opinion
technology
nuclear weapons
Mood
disturbing
critical
reflective
Type
political
ethical
When to use this quote
- media coverage of conflicts
- policy making on weapons
- civilian casualty reporting
- public protest against war
Key Concepts
ethical relativism
psychology of mass media
political legitimacy
Questions to Reflect On
- How does incremental violence erode ethical standards?
- What thresholds trigger public outrage?
A Different Perspective
Even limited, “operable” weapons can be used to justify larger conflicts.
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