Robert: When there's a power blackout in New York,
the lights may still be on in Fargo.
But if people in New York or Fargo have new
weapons, whether the light goes off or stays on
for them, or if lights go off in both places, they
will keep the new weapons.
The Chinese Emperor may burn all the writings that
predated him, but he will keep knowledge of how to
make the best weapons.
At least that's how I understand Koestler's point.
(You're right of course that the examples I
supplied from memory of the book are parochial.)
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