“War is the Health of the State” (even at Christmas)

That was the title to a Randolph Bourne essay found uncompleted after his death in 1918. It arose out of WWI, and Mendy McElroy penned a 1999 essay on the core meaning of the phrase. Essential reading; essential link in your collection. The thrust of Bourne's essays is to attack the sanctity of war by showing how it leads to the moral collapse of society by kicking out the props (the principles) of peaceful interaction upon which society rests. In essence, Bourne addressed the moral consequences of war upon a post-war society which had abandoned individualism in favor of "the herd-machinery." He eloquently argued that post-war America would be morally, intellectually, and psychologically impoverished. By this observation, Bourne did not mean that peace time America would struggle under the increased bureaucracy that never seems to roll-back to pre-war levels. Many historians have made this point. Bourne addressed the less tangible, though arguably more significant, costs of war. For example, post-1918 America would be burdened by intellectuals who had "forgotten that the real enemy is War rather than imperial Germany." In converting World War I into a holy war, the intellectual and psychological groundwork was being laid for future instances of...


This is a preview. The complete post is for Monthly, Quarterly, Annual, and Lifetime Members. Login or Join at the level you choose. Member posts sometimes go out in complete form to non-members on the email list, so subscribe. Browse the free downloads. New ones are added regularly.

LoginJoinEmailDownloads

Richard Nikoley

I started writing Free The Animal in late 2003 as just a little thing to try. 20 years later, turns out I've written over 5,000 posts. I blog what I wish...from diet, health, lifestyle...to philosophy, politics, social antagonism, adventure travel, expat living, location and time independent—while you sleep— income by geoarbitrage, and food pics. I intended to travel the world "homeless," but the Covidiocy Panicdemic squashed that. I became an American expat living in Thailand. I celebrate the audacity and hubris to live by your own exclusive authority and take your own chances. ... I leave the toilet seat up. Read More

The No-Pill Advantages Course Brochure (114 Lessons, 5 Per Week)

— How to Harness the Power of the No-Pill Advantages for a Life of Freedom…

More...

I Raised My Testosterone By 40% In A Year With No Drugs Or Special Supplements

— And I Wasn’t Even Trying Boost your testosterone naturally. Follow along as I tell…

More...

Physical Culture: Gym, Diet, and Fasting

— Carve Your Path to Fitness: A Journey from Mediocrity to Mastery “Delve into how…

More...

Crazy Gym Training, TRT, and HGH For This 62-Year-Old?

— Defying Age, Embracing Self-Authority: A Journey to Physical and Mental Resilience “Ever wondered if…

More...

On the Intellectual Downfall of Nassim Nicholas Taleb

— We’re Not Fooled by Taleb Anymore Introduction He sure was the bee’s knees and…

More...