583: What if war is a good thing?
from Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill Hosted by Pigweed and Crowhill
The boys drink and review Shugga, a strong ale by Lagunitas, then discuss a leaked government report that argues peace is actually a bad thing. War is not merely a tragic necessity, it's a fundamental stabilizing force in human society -- according to a secret government document called Report from Iron Mountain. It claims that war is essential for maintaining political authority, economic order, social cohesion, and psychological balance. This report, written in secret by a panel of experts, argues that permanent peace would undermine governments, disrupt economies, weaken military readiness, and unleash internal violence and social fragmentation, because war provides an external enemy that unifies populations, absorbs surplus production, channels aggressive instincts, and justifies large-scale public spending and technological innovation. But ... spoiler alert ... the whole thing was a hoax. It caught the wave at exactly the right time when people were suspicious of the government, worried about Vietnam, and afraid of the military industrial complex. Having said all that, it makes some good points. Maybe war is necessary to some extent.
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