1984

           Thefrontiersbetweenthethreesuper-statesareinsomeplacesarbitrary,andinotherstheyfluctuateaccordingtothefortunesofwar,butingeneraltheyfollowgeographicallines. EurasiacomprisesthewholeofthenorthernpartoftheEuropeanandAsiaticland-mass,fromPortugaltotheBeringStrait. OceaniacomprisestheAmericas,theAtlanticislandsincludingtheBritishIsles,Australasia,andthesouthernportionofAfrica. Eastasia,smallerthantheothersandwithalessdefinitewesternfrontier,comprisesChinaandthecountriestothesouthofit,theJapaneseislandsandalargebutfluctuatingportionofManchuria,Mongolia,andTibet. 

           Inonecombinationoranother,thesethreesuper-statesarepermanentlyatwar,andhavebeensoforthepasttwenty-fiveyears. War,however,isnolongerthedesperate,annihilatingstrugglethatitwasintheearlydecadesofthetwentiethcentury. Itisawarfareoflimitedaimsbetweencombatantswhoareunabletodestroyoneanother,havenomaterialcauseforfightingandarenotdividedbyanygenuineideologicaldifference. Thisisnottosaythateithertheconductofwar,ortheprevailingattitudetowardsit,hasbecomelessbloodthirstyormorechivalrous. Onthecontrary,warhysteriaiscontinuousanduniversalinallcountries,andsuchactsasraping,looting,theslaughterofchildren,thereductionofwholepopulationstoslavery,andreprisalsagainstprisonerswhichextendeventoboilingandburyingalive,arelookeduponasnormal,and,whentheyarecommittedbyone’sownsideandnotbytheenemy,meritorious. Butinaphysicalsensewarinvolvesverysmallnumbersofpeople,mostlyhighly-trainedspecialists,andcausescomparativelyfewcasualties. Thefighting,whenthereisany,takesplaceonthevaguefrontierswhosewhereaboutstheaveragemancanonlyguessat,orroundtheFloatingFortresseswhichguardstrategicspotsonthesealanes.