1984

           Itisforthepossessionofthesethickly-populatedregions,andofthenorthernice-cap,thatthethreepowersareconstantlystruggling. Inpracticenoonepowerevercontrolsthewholeofthedisputedarea. Portionsofitareconstantlychanginghands,anditisthechanceofseizingthisorthatfragmentbyasuddenstrokeoftreacherythatdictatestheendlesschangesofalignment. 

           Allofthedisputedterritoriescontainvaluableminerals,andsomeofthemyieldimportantvegetableproductssuchasrubberwhichincolderclimatesitisnecessarytosynthesizebycomparativelyexpensivemethods. Butabovealltheycontainabottomlessreserveofcheaplabour. WhicheverpowercontrolsequatorialAfrica,orthecountriesoftheMiddleEast,orSouthernIndia,ortheIndonesianArchipelago,disposesalsoofthebodiesofscoresorhundredsofmillionsofill-paidandhard-workingcoolies. Theinhabitantsoftheseareas,reducedmoreorlessopenlytothestatusofslaves, passcontinuallyfromconquerortoconqueror,andareexpendedlikesomuchcoaloroilintheracetoturnoutmorearmaments,tocapturemoreterritory,tocontrolmorelabourpower,toturnoutmorearmaments,tocapturemoreterritory,andsoonindefinitely. Itshouldbenotedthatthefightingneverreallymovesbeyondtheedgesofthedisputedareas. ThefrontiersofEurasiaflowbackandforthbetweenthebasinoftheCongoandthenorthernshoreoftheMediterranean; theislandsoftheIndianOceanandthePacificareconstantlybeingcapturedandrecapturedbyOceaniaorbyEastasia; inMongoliathedividinglinebetweenEurasiaandEastasiaisneverstable; roundthePoleallthreepowerslayclaimtoenormousterritorieswhichinfactarelargelyuninhabitedandunexplored:butthebalanceofpoweralwaysremainsroughlyeven,andtheterritorywhichformstheheartlandofeachsuper-statealwaysremainsinviolate.