Phil: Finally, I find the term 'world peace' vacuous. What
would the world look like for everyone to agree that there
is peace?
Eric: To mangle Orwell, it would look like a jackboot
crushing a human face forever. It would imply a world
government strong enough to suppress all viable dissent,
affable enough to mute most popular discontent, and most
importantly, so ever-present that there would be no escape
from it.
Failing that nightmare, there would be the less tragic
situation of people disagreeing about their needs, and
sooner or later seeking a military remedy to that disagreement.
World peace would by definition mean the end of war, but
something essential to the human spirit would also die. That
seems to be our ongoing human tragedy, but still a fate less
tragic that world government.
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