Once war was considered the business of soldiers, international relations the concern of diplomats. But now that war has become seemingly total and seemingly permanent, the free sport of kings has become the forced and internecine business of people, and diplomatic codes of honor between nations have collapsed. Peace in no longer serious; only war is serious. Every man and every nation is either friend or foe, and the idea of enmity becomes mechanical, massive, and without genuine passion. When virtually all negotiation aimed at peaceful agreement is likely to be seen as 'appeasement, ' if not treason, the active role of the diplomat becomes meaningless; for diplomacy becomes merely a prelude to war an interlude between wars, and in such a context the diplomat is replaced by the warlord. C. Wright Mills
About This Quote

Relationships between nations and powerful people have become the prelude to war. This is a description of the current state of international relations and how they mirror the relationship between nations before the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution made industrial advancement possible, but it also caused industrial competition and economic dislocation. The industrial revolution changed the way in which we think about war and peace, and what has been lost in this shift.

Source: The Power Elite

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