1984

           Butwhenwarbecomesliterallycontinuous,italsoceasestobedangerous. Whenwariscontinuousthereisnosuchthingasmilitarynecessity. Technicalprogresscanceaseandthemostpalpablefactscanbedeniedordisregarded. Aswehaveseen,researchesthatcouldbecalledscientificarestillcarriedoutforthepurposesofwar,buttheyareessentiallyakindofdaydreaming,andtheirfailuretoshowresultsisnotimportant. Efficiency,evenmilitaryefficiency,isnolongerneeded. NothingisefficientinOceaniaexcepttheThoughtPolice. Sinceeachofthethreesuper-statesisunconquerable,eachisineffectaseparateuniversewithinwhichalmostanyperversionofthoughtcanbesafelypractised. Realityonlyexertsitspressurethroughtheneedsofeverydaylife—theneedtoeatanddrink,togetshelterandclothing,toavoidswallowingpoisonorsteppingoutoftop-storeywindows,andthelike. Betweenlifeanddeath,andbetweenphysicalpleasureandphysicalpain,thereisstilladistinction,butthatisall. Cutofffromcontactwiththeouterworld,andwiththepast,thecitizenofOceaniaislikeamanininterstellarspace,whohasnowayofknowingwhichdirectionisupandwhichisdown. Therulersofsuchastateareabsolute,asthePharaohsortheCaesarscouldnotbe. Theyareobligedtopreventtheirfollowersfromstarvingtodeathinnumberslargeenoughtobeinconvenient,andtheyareobligedtoremainatthesamelowlevelofmilitarytechniqueastheirrivals; butoncethatminimumisachieved,theycantwistrealityintowhatevershapetheychoose. 

           Thewar,therefore,ifwejudgeitbythestandardsofpreviouswars,ismerelyanimposture. Itislikethebattlesbetweencertainruminantanimalswhosehornsaresetatsuchananglethattheyareincapableofhurtingoneanother.