Moribund Society and Anarchy · Theme
Militarism and the State
How Moribund Society and Anarchy develops Militarism and the State.
Militarism is portrayed as a tool of the ruling class to suppress dissent and protect capital, with the army serving as an instrument of oppression rather than defense of the people.
Where it surfaces
- XI: “The Country”
The chapter argues that the military caste and standing armies are tools for preserving bourgeois authority, and that wars are fought for capitalist profit.
- XII: The Patriotism of the Governing Classes
The chapter argues that war is a tool of the governing class to maintain power, suppress opposition, and generate profits, exposing the state's militarism as a class interest.
- XIII: Militarism
The chapter is a direct critique of militarism as a tool of state control, portraying the army as a corrupting institution that destroys individual dignity and autonomy.
- Colonization
The chapter exposes how the state uses military force to colonize, maintain armies, and brutalize soldiers, all in service of the ruling class.
- XV: There Are No Inferior Races
Critique of colonial violence and state-sponsored extermination of indigenous peoples under the guise of racial superiority.
- Endnotes
Translator's notes on army inspections, punishments, and the role of wax in military discipline illustrate the absurdity and control of military life.