Forever War.

Not just a shooting war.

(The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. Cover art by Marvano)

Propagate the perception of a threat and maintain it indefinitely.

Place no limits upon drawing from the attention and resources of a population in the creation of the increasingly expensive and sophisticated technologies required to resolve this problem.

Recognise this lucrative structure for what it is. A problem is deliberately maintained and never resolved, to permit a deep mine to be drilled into the resources of a now highly motivated population.

However, a Forever War cannot be sustained by a fiction. The threat that sustains a Forever War must be a real threat. It can be no weak conspiracy. It must be a clear and present danger, ripe for exploitation. If built upon such a firm foundation, this Forever War may never end.

This might make us wonder if the Forever War described by Haldeman need not be a shooting war.

What other global crises could be framed as a Forever War ?

(Image remains property of the author, derived from Soviet propaganda)

Does the provision of sustainable technology offer everything required to foment a Forever War?