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at the level of a state, war is not a binary decision. what is binary is only the declaration of war that happens when war is seen as inevitable

think about the clique u were in or observing at work or in school. when one member is attacked, the group MUST respond to defend and retaliate. when a member is ejected, the group MUST unanimously shun the outsider

centralized power centers like HR or the CEO actually do not have that much direct power over the octopus that is nominally under their control the tentacles have a life of their own

Central only has power over narratives and a declaration of war is a narrative that transmutes chaos and violent into meaningful conflict that adds further coherence to the identity of the state

that is to say, war is a necessity from an anthropomorphized state’s perspective because it is protecting its identity, the thing that is keeping it alive. it is literally a fight for survival.

think about how angry you got at a friend, colleague, boss, or stranger when your own identity was threatened. it’s a life or death frantic lashing out response that has to be suppressed

while the individual may do something like kick a dog or slam the car door, the equivalent for a state is far more destructive. and the equivalent of punching your boss in the face? quite violent...