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389TIIEREPonT"wasteful"formof"waste"),andin theusualcoorditta-tionof stepped-upmilitaryactivities(asinViebramin1965)withdangerouslyrisingunemploymentrates.Althoughwedonotimply thatasubstituteforwarin the""otto*ycannotbedevised,no combinationoftechniquesorcontrollingemplo;,ment,production,andconsumptionhas yetbeentestedthatcanremotelycom-pareto itin effectiveness.t is,andhasbeen, heessentialeconomicstabilizerofmodernsocieties.?oliticalThe politicalfunctionsof warhavebeenuptonowevenmore criticaltosocialstability.Itis notsulprising,nevertheless,hatdiscussionsf economicconversionorpeacetendtofallsilentonthematter ofpoliticalim-plementation,andthat disarmamentscenarios,oftenso-phisticatedin their weighingofinternationalpoliticalfactors,tendto disregardthepoliticalfunctions ofthewarsystem withinindividualsocieties.Theseunctionsareessentiallyorganizational.First ofall,the existenceofa societyas a political"nation"re-quiresas partofits definitionanattitudeofrelationshiptowardother"nations."Thisiswhatweusuallycallaforeign policy.Butanation'soreignpolicycanhavenosubstancefit lackshemeansofenforcingtsattitudetowardothernations.Itcandothisin acrediblemanneronlyif it impliesthethreatofmaximumpoliticalorgan-izationfor thispurpose-whichis tosaythat itis organ-ized tosomedegreefor war.War, then,as wehavede-ffnedt to includeallnationalactivitiesthatrecognize hepossibilitofanynatit ishistoof weapo"peace"athesametionhood.eliminationation-stThewexistenchas beenpoliticalsbeen ablerighttorthe sensementcanrevealsonaregimetoitsdissactionsoments.Thofwar isithisprimanizedbyacknowlequerors.Thebaresidesn itobelieve
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usualcoordina-sinViebraminrmentrates.rbstituteforwarcombinationofproduction,andnremotelYcom-een,heessentialbeenuPtonowis notsulPrising,ricconversionforr ofpoliticalim-enados,oftenso-nationalpoliticalfunctionsoftherizational.Firstofitical"nation"re-deofrelationshiPweusuallycalla,olicycanhavenoorcingitsattitudeacrediblemannerrmpoliticalorgan-rythatitisorgan-)n,aswehavede-thatrecognizethe
THEFUNCTTONSOFwAR39
possibilityofarmedconflict,is itselfthedefiningelementof"trynation'sexistencevis-i-visanyothernation'Sinceitis historicallyaxiomaticthatthe existenceofanyformofweaponryinsuresitsuse,wehaveusedthe word"peace'tas virtuallyslmon)rmouswithdisarmament'Bythesametoken,"\ryar"isvirtuallys)monymouswithna-tionhood.Theeliminationofwarimpliestheinevitableeliminationofnationalsovereigntyandthetraditionalnation-state.The warsystemnotonlyhasbeenessentialto theexistencefnationsasndependentpoliticalentities,buthasbeenequallyindispensableotheirstableinternalpoliticalstructure.Withoutit,nogovernmenthaseverLeenabletoobtainacquiescencenits"legitimacy,"orright toruleitssociety.Thepossibilityof warprovidesth",.rrr"ofexternalnecessitywithoutwhichnogovern-mentcanlongremainin power.Thehistoricalrecordrevealsoneinstanceafteranotherwherethefailureofaregime tomaintainthe credibilityofa warthreatledtoits dissolution,ytheforcesof privateinterest,ofre-actionstosocialinjustice,orofotherdisintegrativeele-ments.The organizationofa societyforthe possibilityofwaris its principalpoliticalstabilizer.t isironicthatthisprimaryfunctionofwarhasbeengenerallyrecog-nizedbyhistoriansonlywhereithasbeenexpresslyacknowledged-inthepiratesocietiesofthe greatcon-querors.Thebasicauthorityof amodernstateovertspeopl€residesnits warpowers'(There is,infact, goodreasontobelievehatcodifiedaw hadits originsn therulesof
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TIIEREPORT
conductestablishedbymilitaryvictorsfordealingwiththedefeatedenemy,whichwerelateradaptedtoapplytoallsubjectpopulations.?Ona day-to-daybasis,tis representedbytheinstitutionofpolice,armedorgan-izatilnschatgedexpresslywithdealingwith"int-eyalenemies"n amilitarymanner.Liketheconventionalex-ternal"military,the policearealsosubstantiallyexemptfrommanycivilianlegalrestraintsontheirsocialbe-havior.Insomecountries,heartiffcialdistinctionbetweenpoliceandothermilitaryforcesdoesnotexist'Onthelong-termbasis,agovernment'smergencywarpowers-inherentin thestruetureofeventhemostlibertarianofnations-definethemostsigniffcantaspectofthere-lationbetweenstateandcitizen.Inadvancedmoderndemocraticsocieties,thewarsystemhas providedpoliticalleaderswithanotherpolit-ical-ecor,omicunctionofincreasingmportance:it hasservedas helast greatsafeguardagainsttheeliminationofnecessaryocialclasses.seconomicproductivityin-creasesoa levelfurtherandfurtherabovethatofmini-mumsubsistence,t becomesmoreandmoredifficultfora societytomaintaindistributionpatternsinsuringtheexistencef"hewersofwoodanddrawersofwater"'Thefurtherprogressofautomationcanbeexpectedto-dif-ferentiaGtiill-ot"sharplybetween"superior"workersandwhatRicarclocalled"menials,"whilesimultaneouslyaggravatingtheproblemofmaintaininganunskilledlaborsupply.Thearbittarynatureofwarexpendituresand ofothermilitaryactivitiesmakethemideallysuited tocontroltheseessystemvwouldbUntil itimustbethan to pa societthestabSocioloUndtions sehaviorntionandeconomiThehonoredelementThedisidescribsocietieItary outfunctiondangersstigmatacurrent e"alienatiInearlieby the miusually
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