the Paris Vendetta (2009) by Steve - Cotton Malone 05 Berry

Author:Steve - Cotton Malone 05 Berry [Berry, Steve - Cotton Malone 05]
Format: mobi
Published: 2010-12-20T02:02:59.296000+00:00

FORTY

ELIZA WAS ACTUALLY ENJOYING HER LUNCH CONVERSATION with Henrik Thorvaldsen. He was an intelligent, quick-witted man who did not waste time on small talk. He seemed an eager listener, a person who absorbed facts, cataloged them in proper order, then swiftly drew conclusions.

Just like herself.

"Napoleon realized," she said, "that war was good for society. Like nothing else, it mobilized his best thinkers to think better. He discovered that scientists were more creative when a threat was real. Manufacturing became more innovative and productive. The people more obedient. He discovered that the citizenry, if threatened, would allow just about any violation from government, so long as they were protected. But too much war is destructive. People will only tolerate so much, and his enemies made sure there was far more than he ever intended, and he ultimately lost all ability to govern."

"I can't see how war would ever be termed a good thing," Thorvaldsen said. "There are so many things wrong with it."

"There is death, destruction, devastation, waste. But war has always existed. How could something so utterly wrong continue to thrive? The answer is simple. War works. Man's greatest technological achievements have always come as the result of war. Look at the last world conflict. We learned to split the atom and fly in space, not to mention countless advances in electronics, science, medicine, engineering. All while we slaughtered one another on an unprecedented scale."

He nodded. "There is truth in what you say."

"It's even more dramatic than that, Herre Thorvaldsen. Look at American history. Its economy is as rhythmic as a clock-a cycle of boom, recession, and depression. But here's a fact. Every one of America's cyclical depressions has occurred during a period of inadequate military spending. There were depressions after the War of 1812, the Civil War in the 1860s, and the Spanish-American War at the turn of the 20th century. The Great Depression of the 1930s came at a time, after the First World War, when America went into isolationism and literally dismantled its military. It took another war to bring it out."

"Sounds like a subject you have studied."

"I did and the evidence is clear. War makes the stable governing of society possible. It provides a clear external necessity for society to accept political rule. End war and national sovereignty will eventually end as well-this was a concept Napoleon understood. He may actually have been the first modern leader to grasp its meaning."

The dining room at Le Grand VTfour was beginning to empty. Lunchtime was drawing to a close, and she watched as patrons said their goodbyes to each other and slowly departed.

"Napoleon planned to transition not only France," she said, "but all of his conquered territory from a war state to a peace-oriented society. But he recognized that to do it, he'd need adequate substitutes for war. Unfortunately for him, none existed in his day."

"What could possibly take war's place?"

She shrugged. "It's difficult to find, but not impossible. The idea would be to create an alternative enemy. A threat, either real or perceived, against which society rallies to defend itself.

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