70 polities forruins,wetrytolaytheblameonBigBusiness.But thereisnoneedtogosofar.TheHomericGreekshadno munitions-makers,nosteeltrusts.Indeed,inthemindsof Homer'scontemporaries,thegodsofGreekmythologytook therolesweassigntomysteriouseconomicoligarchies. Neithergodsnorplotsdrivementoruin.Humannature sufices. TODAY,nothingdistressestheinteligentobservermore thantheilusorycharacterofourconflicts.TheTrojanwarmademoresense.At itshearttherewasawoman atleast,awomanofperfectbeauty.Forus,capitalized nounstakeherrole. Ifwesqueezeoneofthesewords,all bloatedwithbloodandtears,wefinditempty.Wordswith content,however,arenotmurderers.Oneofthemmaybe bloodstained,butonlybriefly,andmoreaccidentalythan not.Butmenwillspilltorrentsofbloodandpileruinon ruinformeaningless,upper-casewords,and,sincethey meannothing,neverfindanythingwhichcorrespondsto them.Successistheannihilationofwhomeversupportsthe enemywords;because—anothercharacteristicthesewords comeinantagonisticpairs.Onewordbyitself, ifwe botheredtodefineit,mightnotbetotalywithoutmeaning. Butadefinedwordlosesitscapitals,andbecomesnomore thanareferencethathelpsustograspataconcretereality, ataconcreteobjective,atamethodofaction.Thoughit mayseemstrange,thedeflationofcongenitalyswollen wordsandthedefinitionofothers,alongwiththeclarificationsofideas,couldsavehumanlives. Wearenotequaltothis.Theglitterofourcivilization coversanintelectualdecadence.Wedonot,liketheGreeks, givesuperstitionanyspecialplace,anditrevengesitself byinvading,undercoverofanabstractvocabulary,the wholerealmofthought.Ourscienceisawarehouseof themostexquisiteintelectualmechanismsforsolvingthe mostcomplexproblems,butweourselvescannotapplythe basicmethodsofrationalthought.Weseemtohavelost theveryrudimentsofinteligence,thenotionsofmeasure, standard,anddegree;ofproportionandrelation,ofaffinity, ofconsequence.Togetafirmergrasponhumanevents, wepeopleourpoliticalworldwithmonstersandmyths; werecognizenothingbutentities,absolutes,finalities.Look atanywordinourpoliticalandsocialvocabulary:Nation, Security,Capitalism,Communism,Fascism,Order,Authority,Property,Democracy.Weneversay"Democracyinso faras. . ."or"Capitalismtotheextent. . ."Anexpressionlike"insofaras. . ."taxesourintellectualcapacity. Eachoneofthesecatchwordsstandsforanabsolutereality, freedfromallconditions;foranabsoluteendinadif- ferentworldthantheworldofaction;foranabsoluteevil; andthenweputanythingandeverythingunderthesewords. Reality,however,shiftsandchanges;isdeterminedbythe interplayofexternalnecessities;operatesundercertaincon- ditionsandwithincertainlimits.Yetweact,wefight,we struggle,wesacrificeourselvesandothersforfixedand isolatedabstractionswhichcannotbeharmonizedeither witheachotherorwithconcretereality.Ourbragging technologicalagethrashesatwindmils. rXAMPLESofthisdeadlynonsenseareeasytofind. 140Nationalivalryiseaprizeone.Whenweputtheblame Bibliotecauinobianco onwarringcapitalists,weignoretheintricatenetworkof competition,pyramiding,andtrustswhichdisregardsnationalboundariesandspreadsovertheworld.Theclash ofinterestscansetinoppositiontwoFrenchgroupsand uniteeachofthemtoaGermangroup.Frenchsmelting companiescompetewithrivalGermancompanies,but it makeslittlediferencetotheLorrainemineownerswhether FrenchmenorGermansconverttheirore,andthewinegrowersandtheParisspecialtyhouseshavetheirstakein Germanprosperity.Thus,ourtheoryaboutnationalrivalry isabsurd. I f wesaynationalismconcealscapitalistmo- tives,wemustsaywhose.Themineowners?BigSteel's? Themachine-shopowners?Theutilitymagnates?The textilemanufacturers?Thebankers?Sincetheirinterests conflict,surelynotallofthem;andifwesetleonasingle group,wemustexplainhowitgetscontrolofthestate.At anygivenmoment,statepolicycoincideswiththeinterests ofsomegrouporother,butwhatofit?Withtheworld circulationofcapital,acapitalistcanputpressureaseasily onaforeignnationasonhisown.Worldeconomyfolows politicalstructureonlysofarasstateauthorityforcesitto; buttheformwhichstateauthoritytakescannotbeexplained bythesimpleinterplayofeconomicinterests."National interest"isnotevencapitalistinterest."Wethinkweare dyingforourcountry,"AnatoleFrancesaid,"butwedie forafewindustrialists."It isrealyworse.Wedon'tdie foranythingassubstantial,astangibleasabig-business maWn. ecannotsaythatnationalinterestisactualythemutual interestofindustry,commerce,andbankingbecausethey havenone;northelife,liberty,andprosperityofthecitizens,sincetheyconstantlysacrificetheirprosperity,liberty, andlifefornationalinterest Ifweanalysemodernhistory, weconcludethatnationalinterestisthestate'sreadinessfor war. In1911FrancewaswilingtogotowaroverMorocco,butwhywasMoroccosoimportant?Becauseofthe nativetroopswhichNorthAfricacouldsupply,andbecauserawmaterialsandmarketshelptomakenational economyindependentfromthestandpointofmakingwar. Whatacountrycalls"vitaleconomicinterests"isnotwhat enablesitscitizenstolive,butwhatenablesthemtomake war;thus,it iseasiertostartawaroveroilthanwheat Wemakewartokeeporincreasethemeansofmakingit. Internationalpoliticsrotateinthisviciouscircle.Our "nationalprestige"isourabitytomakeothercountries feelhelplessbeforeus.Our"nationalsecurity"isade- lusionbywhichweaimtotakethemeansofwarfromevery countrybutourown.Aself-respectingnation,hishort, wilgotoanylength,i.e.war,topreserveitsrighttomake waBr. utwhymusttherebewar?Weknownomorethanthe TrojansknewwhytheydefendedHelen.Thatiswhythe peace-plansofthosemenofgoodwill,ourstatesmen,are soworthless.Theycouldfindcompromisesifopposingin- terestsrealydividedtheircountries.Butwheneconomic andpoliticalinterestscenteraroundtheabilitytomakewar, howcanstatesmenfindapeacefulmeanbetweenclashing interests?Theveryconcept,"Nation",mustgo. Or rather,"National:"formilionsofcorpses,orphans,and disabledmen,tearsanddespair,arethecontentofthis otherwisemeaninglessword.
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