• sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    2 months ago

    Selected excerpts from:

    THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF

    OLIGARCHICAL COLLECTIVISM

    by

    Emmanuel Goldstein


    Chapter III

    War is Peace


    The splitting up of the world into three great super-states was an event which could be and indeed was foreseen before the middle of the twentieth century.

    […]

    The frontiers between the three super-states are in some places arbitrary, and in others they fluctuate according to the fortunes of war, but in general they follow geographical lines.

    […]

    In one combination or another, these three super-states are permanently at war, and have been so for the past twenty-five years. War, however, is no longer the desperate, annihilating struggle that it was in the early decades of the twentieth century. It is a warfare of limited aims between combatants who are unable to destroy one another, have no material cause for fighting and are not divided by any genuine ideological difference. This is not to say that either the conduct of war, or the prevailing attitude towards it, has become less bloodthirsty or more chivalrous.

    On the contrary, war hysteria is continuous and universal in all countries, and such acts as raping, looting, the slaughter of children, the reduction of whole populations to slavery, and reprisals against prisoners which extend even to boiling and burying alive, are looked upon as normal, and, when they are committed by one’s own side and not by the enemy, meritorious. But in a physical sense war involves very small numbers of people, mostly highly-trained specialists, and causes comparatively few casualties. The fighting, when there is any, takes place on the vague frontiers whose whereabouts the average man can only guess at, or round the Floating Fortresses which guard strategic spots on the sea lanes.

    In the centres of civilization war means no more than a continuous shortage of consumption goods, and the occasional crash of a rocket bomb which may cause a few scores of deaths. War has in fact changed its character. More exactly, the reasons for which war is waged have changed in their order of importance. Motives which were already present to some small extent in the great wars of the early twentieth century have now become dominant and are consciously recognized and acted upon.


    To understand the nature of the present war – for in spite of the regrouping which occurs every few years, it is always the same war – one must realize in the first place that it is impossible for it to be decisive.

    […]

    In any case each of the three super-states is so vast that it can obtain almost all the materials that it needs within its own boundaries. In so far as the war has a direct economic purpose, it is a war for labour power. Between the frontiers of the super-states, and not permanently in the possession of any of them, there lies a rough quadrilateral with its corners at […] containing within it about a fifth of the population of the earth. It is for the possession of these thickly-populated regions, and of the northern ice-cap, that the three powers are constantly struggling.

    In practice no one power ever controls the whole of the disputed area. Portions of it are constantly changing hands, and it is the chance of seizing this or that fragment by a sudden stroke of treachery that dictates the endless changes of alignment.

    All of the disputed territories contain valuable minerals […]. But above all they contain a bottomless reserve of cheap labour.

    Whichever power controls equatorial Africa, or the countries of the Middle East, or Southern India, or the Indonesian Archipelago, disposes also of the bodies of scores or hundreds of millions of ill-paid and hard-working coolies. The inhabitants of these areas, reduced more or less openly to the status of slaves, pass continually from conqueror to conqueror, and are expended like so much coal or oil in the race to turn out more armaments, to capture more territory, to control more labour power, to turn out more armaments, to capture more territory, and so on indefinitely.

    It should be noted that the fighting never really moves beyond the edges of the disputed areas.

    […]

  • hopesdead@startrek.website
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    2 months ago

    Whelp, it looks like Star Trek was on the nose. This is probably the year World War III begins.

    EDIT: WWIII last 27 years.

    • VoiHyvaLuojaMitaNyt@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I find this WW3 aspect rather ridiculous and America-centric thinking. Pretty much everyone is staying out of this and theres no signs of the US sending troops in. This is just a repeat of the last operation they did, maybe in a bigger scale

      • AlDente@sh.itjust.works
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        2 months ago

        In regard to WWIII, focusing only on the current Israel/US-Iran conflict seems like rather America-centric thinking. Russia invaded Ukraine over four years ago and is still fighting in their territory. A foreign-backed civil war is raging in Sudan with massacres large enough for civilian satellite imagery to see large scale blood stains. Pakistan declared “open war” against Afghanistan just this month. China is continuing to claim the territorial waters of their South-East-Asia neighbors and engage in regular ship rammings to secure it. Israel has bombed Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Qatar, and Tunisia in just the last year. Russia-backed ships have been cutting undersea telecom cables. And a Chinese invasion of Taiwan seems imminent.

    • Random_Character_A@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      You forgot Eugenic Wars.

      Instead of genetically engineered superhumans we get kleptocratic asshole billionaires and AI.

      Instead of charismatic Khan Noonien Singh future gets a sickly pale Mark Zuckerberg.

      • hopesdead@startrek.website
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        2 months ago

        If you’ve been watching all of Trek, you’ll know that the Eugenics Wars no longer have a fixed point in time. WWIII on the other hand hasn’t changed.

        • Random_Character_A@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          Kurzman Treks don’t exist for me. There’s nothing Star Trek in them.

          Horrible acidic projectile diarrhea of storytelling.

      • Wataba@sh.itjust.works
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        2 months ago

        We’re in the Confederation Timeline from Picard S2. Khan didn’t happen in that iteration of events.

        It fits. Awful season, awful reality.

  • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I can just see this happening while literally negotiating at the table. Like US and Iran are there, the mediator mediating, someone walks in and whispers into the US sides ear, they say carry on everything is fine and continues. A few minutes later someone walks in on Iran’s side and whispers into their ear and they freak out.

  • KulunkelBoom@lemmus.org
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    2 months ago

    Traitor AND yellow bellied sneak attack commie puppet. Nice. “I wish I could give myself one of these medals. I deserve one.” . Four deferments as 4F. Draft dodger. Maybe had he gone he’d have come back an American.

  • FatVegan@leminal.space
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    2 months ago

    If only anyone could’ve known that america is a piece of shit county full of cowards.

    • kreskin@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      The world is pretty short of upstanding countries at the moment. They are all compromised by far-right facsist supremacist zionism and the pedophilia honey traps Epstein conducted (in service of Zionism). Are you from some place thats free of that?

      • ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        2 months ago

        Mass surveillance has everyone in a honey trap, but it will be more like petty blackmail to supress dissent. My favorite thing is that none of it really matters if they raped kids and got away with it. Like, I don’t really care that my neighbor had an affair if the president’s a kiddie diddler.

  • Furbag@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    US: “You can’t enrich uranium!”

    Iran: “We reluctantly agree to this term.”

    US: Bombs Iran anyway

    We live in a clown country 🤡

    • Atomic@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      That’s not entirely what happened. Though you do live in a clown country.

      After US withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, Iran did continue to still follow the terms for quite a while in hopes that the US would once again rejoin (presumably).

      Then the US assasinated an Iranian general or major, could be mistaken. Either way, they assasinated someone. Iran, shockingly, wasn’t all too impressed and quite upset about the whole ordeal, so they said fuck it… if that’s how you wanna play, we’re gonna do whatever we want.

      And then now, you have US and Israel both striking Iran, with the justification that Iran was “about to strike us first”.

      • Ghostie@lemmy.zip
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        2 months ago

        That’s not entirely what happened. Though you do live in a clown country.

        Got a good chuckle out of me. Credit where credit is due, right?

    • Notyou@sopuli.xyz
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      2 months ago

      I would link the meme of Kim Jung Un telling his daughter this is why we have nuclear weapons, but I didn’t save it.

    • TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      2 months ago

      US: “You can’t enrich uranium!”

      Iran: “We reluctantly agree to this term.”

      US: “Oh fuck, we were hoping for more resistance, it’s only a cover for stealing your oil.”

  • Dankob@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Good. Iran needs to change. The regime is too oppressive killing any Protestant how can anyone expect change other than violence. It would be good for the world too, no terrorism and more western Iran would great.

    • voodooattack@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Good. USA needs to change. The regime is too oppressive killing any minority how can anyone expect change other than violence. It would be good for the world too, no terrorism and less racist ICE would be great.

      FTFY. Maybe start preaching at home.

      Edit: fixed it even more. Also that account is a sleeper troll from the post history seems like, but I stand by what I said.

    • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Because if the last 25 years have taught us anything, it’s that the US going to war with Islamist nations creates regional peace and stability…

    • wolfeh@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      2 months ago

      This backpack (CW: Blood) belonged to an elementary school kid who was killed yesterday after the U.S. and Israel targeted her school.

      Take a look at the picture, and tell us all again how it’s a good thing.

    • Assassassin@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      2 months ago

      You think that the US bombing Iran is going to reduce terrorism? What the fuck do you think inspired alqaeda and ISIS? This will validate every terrorist organization’s hate for america.

      Please read any amount of history before regurgitating talking points on a subject that you clearly do not understand.

      • Dankob@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Iranians (I’m from Iran and lived there 5 years) are unable to change regime cuz they are killed by their own nation! 30,000 people+ past two months. This is nothing yet this war. They can’t even travel abroad freely like any free human should be able to!!! They aren’t allowed. They filter internet. What are u talking about. So leaders there must die and the normal people need to take over! No other option of anyone normal getting in power in this situation. Plus the economic growth. Iran needs to westernize, needs to progress and become a free country. Not fucking going BACKWARDS in human progress! By blocking any American product, internet, traveling abroad, not allowing hair to be shown, not being able to touch a woman in public, or tv show or movie, wtf! The majority of Iranians are not like that, but they are forced to accept it.

    • NιƙƙιDιɱҽʂ@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Just because an end result can be positive (this is yet to be seen here), the means to that end are highly arguable. The US is not, despite what they seem to think, the world police.

      Just like with overthrowing the dictatorial former president of Venezuela, this is not the US’s place.

  • kreskin@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Iran signaled thgat they were going to give them everything they asked for so they attacked instead. They never wanted a deal, they wanted a reason to start a new zionist war on the American taxpayers dime.

    • floofloof@lemmy.caOP
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      2 months ago

      Iran already had a nuclear agreement with the USA and other countries, which Trump tore up during his first term before he bombed them. Then a few years later they’re about to agree to his replacement deal and, as they prepare to sign, Trump bombs them.

      No one will want to negotiate anything with the USA after Trump’s behaviour in the past year. No agreement with the USA is worth the paper it’s written on.

      • BeardededSquidward@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        2 months ago

        This just taught the world when dealing with the USA you strike first. I’m of the mind this is the start of WW3 now because I doubt the other BRIC countries don’t get involved.

        • ripcord@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          I’m of the mind this is the start of WW3 now because I doubt the other BRIC countries don’t get involved.

          What? None of them are going to do that for Iran.

          Also what are they going to do…? Even the UK is attacking Iran at this point. And almost every other country doesn’t actually give a shit. And hated the Ayatollah.

          Even Iran is going to respond halfheartedly.

          This is why the bullies are doing it.

    • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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      2 months ago

      Iran signaled thgat they were going to give them everything they asked for so they attacked instead.

      When? It was more like they were signalling they’d be willing to go to the mat rather than become a US puppet or whatever Trump had in mind.

        • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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          2 months ago

          Ah, thank you. I have a strong feeling Oman is leaving bits out, though. Since when has a nuclear deal with Iran been that easy? They have no reason to trust the US, especially after they blew up their own deal the last time. And Trump is hard enough on people who aren’t US enemies at a vulnerable moment.

          I’m not the only one who’s been saying a confrontation was inevitable. The only real question is how far Trump is willing to go before he TACOs.