In Complete Deniability Through Constant War I quoted Orwell’s writing from Nineteen Eighty-Four II.9. Upon further mulling, I wanted to share that war can be about “taking mountains and winning” or it can be about “domestic crowd control.”
The war on terrorism and the war in Iraq is about domestic crowd control.
Here’s the original quote from George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four II.9, “When war becomes literally continuous, it also ceases to be dangerous. When war is continuous there is no such thing as military necessity. Technical progress can cease and the most palpable facts can be denied or disregarded.”
I think that whether there is actually a war going on “over there” or not is immaterial. If we believe there is a mortal threat “over there” there indeed is — its really a brand perception issue — dealing with issues of “hearts and minds” — our domestic, American, hearts, not the Montagnards’.
Now that I am in PR and marketing, I see all things in term of brand perception, and the Orwell quote works with both a “ghost war /” and (as in terrorism or liberating the Iraqis) as it does with “real wars” (as in liberating France from the Nazis).
If a war is about taking mountains and winning, it will be a lot more like WWII — quiet and discree, the welfare of campaigns being of utmost importance.
The goals will be well-defined and well-funded.
If a war is about domestic crowd control, it will be loud, indiscreet, vulnerable to leaks and treasonous acts (without the required penalizations such as firing squads and so forth).
There will be no end in site, no well-defined goals, and funding will always be a struggle.
Gee, I wonder if we are being spun right now when it comes to the polarization that is going on between us “liberal elite” and them “salt of the earth.” What do you think? Maybe? Certainly.
(We liberal elite will never admit to being so hoodwinked — it will indeed be our hubris and ego that will keep us all wrapped up in this tarbaby.)
The war on terrorism and the Iraq War are both domestic crowd control, aren’t they? Seems to me.
How long will Don Quixote fight the windmill?
