Joseph T. Salerno discusses the nature of war and its underlying causes, emphasizing the role of praxeologya science focusing on human actionin understanding warfare. He critiques common beliefs about war's inevitability and explores the particular relationship between states and imperialist wars.
1. Praxeology and Warfare:
• Warfare is not just a result of historical forces but a human action guided by reason, choices, and objectives.
• Analyzing war through praxeology helps clarify its real causes and dispels myths surrounding it.
2. Definition of War and States:
• War is defined as violent conflict involving at least one state, characterized by a centralized government that can enforce laws and collect taxes.
• Pre-state groups, unlike states, lack the institutional power to impose coercive governance over others.
3. The Nature of Imperialist War:
• Imperialist wars are deliberate, motivated by the state's inherent tendency to expand and exploit resources rather than being accidents of circumstances.
4. Class Conflict and Government:
• All governments are inherently oligarchic, comprising a ruling minority that extracts resources from a productive majority.
• The ruling class benefits from war by distracting the public from domestic exploitation and increasing their control over resources through wartime measures.
5. War's Role in Class Division:
• Wars obscure domestic class conflicts and provide means for the ruling class to maintain their wealth and power.
• The rationale for warfare often includes the necessity to combat perceived external threats, thereby justifying domestic hardships.
6. Historical Examples and Implications:
• Historical examples like Imperial Rome illustrate how expropriative practices fostered a class division that compelled states to engage in war to maintain their control.
• Modern examples reflect that democratic governments continue a trend of imperialism, using foreign wars to distract from internal issues.
7. Democracy and Imperialism:
• Democratic states have a particular tendency towards imperialistic warfare, underpinned by the necessity to conceal the oligarchic nature of governance from the masses.
• Official narratives often portray imperial wars as efforts to spread democracy, masking underlying exploitative motives.
8. Conclusion on Warfare and Class Dynamics:
• The relationship between rulers and the ruled establishes a continuous state of conflict, with war serving as a tool for the ruling class to suppress dissent and consolidate power.
• Future conflicts may continue along these lines, as ruling classes grapple with maintaining authority over increasingly aware populations.
Conclusion
Salerno’s analysis reveals that wars are often not spontaneous but rather purposeful actions stemming from the inherent nature of state power, class conflicts, and a desire to obscure these realities. Understanding this relationship is vital to grasping the true nature of warfare and imperialism throughout history.
https://mises.org/mises-daily/imperialism-and-logic-war-making
No comments:
Post a Comment