economy existing by and
for continuous warfare. It follows that the three super-states not only
cannot conquer one another, but would gain no advantage by doing so. On the
contrary, so long as they remain in conflict they prop one another up, like
three sheaves of corn. And, as usual, the ruling groups of all three powers
are simultaneously aware and unaware of what they are doing. Their lives
are dedicated to world conquest, but they also know that it is necessary
that the war should continue everlastingly and without victory. Meanwhile
the fact that there IS no danger of conquest makes possible the denial of
reality which is the special feature of Ingsoc and its rival systems of
thought. Here it is necessary to repeat what has been said earlier, that by
becoming continuous war has fundamentally changed its character.
In past ages, a war, almost by definition, was something that sooner
or later came to an end, usually in unmistakable victory or defeat. In the
past, also, war was one of the main instruments by which human societies
were kept in touch with physical reality. All rulers in all ages have tried
to impose a false view of the world upon their followers, but they could
not afford to encourage any illusion that tended to impair military
efficiency. So long as defeat meant the loss of independence, or some other
result generally held to be undesirable, the precautions against defeat had
to be serious. Physical facts could not be ignored. In philosophy, or
religion, or ethics, or politics, two and two might make five, but when one
was designing a gun or an aeroplane they had to make four. Inefficient
nations were always conquered sooner or later,