Revealing the Truth about the War

“The primary aim of modern warfare…is to use up the products of the machine without raising the general standard of living.” The quote taken from Emmanuel Goldstein’s Manifesto begins to unravel the mysteries behind the purpose of the war, its reasons for being fought, and why no one has yet won.

Goldstein explains in his book The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism that after World War II, three super states arose, Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. Each of these states grew into a totalitarian government exerting total control over its people.

This is a diagram of the super states that rose after WWII. The gray area that separates the states is the disputed area they are supposedly fighting over. Instead it is a big wasteland that is constantly being bombarded in order to get rid of excess goods.

The problem that arises in a totalitarian government is keeping the subjects willing to consent to the government. It is human nature to question the government and the power by which the government rules. Obviously if the people question their government in this state they will overthrow the government and begin a new one that better fits their needs. John Locke, a philosopher from before the emergence of the super states, talks about the spirit of revolution that allows the people to regain the power they hand to the government and establish a government that will once again protect the rights of it citizens.

In order to keep the people from questioning their government the government must find a way to keep the people in poverty, for as Goldstein writes in his book, “if leisure and security were enjoyed by all alike, the great mass of human beings who are normally stupefied by poverty would learn to think for themselves.” Thus the totalitarian rulers of each of Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia established a perpetual war to keep the people in this impoverished state by accomplishing a few goals.

Among the most important and most all-encompassing goals of the war is to keep society in balance. By keeping the goal of winning the war constant in society, the government in Oceania can give the people an understanding of where their efforts are heading. Thus subjects have no reason to question what is happening in the government, or what is happening overseas. Subjects have no opportunity to move up in society, but they don’t need to because the ultimate goal of the society is not to better your own standing, but to win the war. 

Another major goal of the society is to create an enemy. By creating an enemy, the populous has something to hate, a place in which to direct their anger. This also brings the populous into the submission of the government. During times of war citizens tend to be a lot more trusting of government action. During World War II, citizens willingly submitted to a draft, women gave more to the workforce, and there was much less questioning of government. We are seeing the same lack of questioning during the current War on Terror in America. Whether or not it looks like people are submitting to government action, when it comes down to it, the citizenry hates terrorism and is willing to trust government action.

“The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but of the products of human labor.” Once again Goldstein uncovers the purpose of the war. It is human nature to look for ways to improve our current position. Imagine you are lying on the floor and your back starts to hurt, the first thing you do is to move to a more comfortable position. The same is true of people, if you find yourself in poverty the first thing you do is to look for a way out. This action is contrary to the upholding of the totalitarian regime. So in order for the regime to survive it must destroy the opportunity for progression. The war helps to fill this role.

This is a picture of Nazi Germany during World War II. Here they are burning books to get rid of knowledge contrary to their beliefs. The same happens in Oceania. History is often changed to ensure that uprisings are quelled before they have a chance to begin.

The war fills the role of destroying the opportunity for progression by destroying the excess goods produced by the people. In the society, everyone is afforded a job and that which is necessary for life, but not for leisure. No one will starve to death, but no one is extremely prosperous. The goods that are in excess are shipped off to the war, thus leaving the citizenry without an understanding, and without an opportunity to capitalize on these goods. Without any excess goods it becomes hard to move up or down in society, which is exactly what the regime wants.

Last is to establish a goal for the people, to try and establish within the people something to hope for. The people as a whole look forward to the day when the war will be over, and Oceania will become the ultimate power. This goal allows the people to continue with their lives without fear of what is to come, only working towards a better future for the country. Thus the regime is in total control.

At the end of the day, the war is simply a way for the government to exert more control over the people. The only way for the government to fall at this point is for the people to decide it is time to start over. If the government can stop the root of those ideas before they begin, then they win. By using the war to establish a point of hate, keeping subjects in their place, and destroying the want for a citizen to both question their state, and to question their government, the regime becomes the ultimate dictator, effectively establishing the goal of total control.