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War—What For?

Chapter 1: WAR—WHAT FOR?
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About This Book

The author argues that modern warfare functions to protect and extend class-based exploitation, presenting a sharp critique of industrial capitalism and the political institutions that glorify or profit from conflict. Chapters examine what war is, its human and financial costs, the suffering and betrayal of enlisted workers, and the role of propaganda and legal systems in maintaining consent. The book traces working-class history, interprets war as class struggle, and catalogs abuses—insanity, suicide, and economic loss—experienced by soldiers and families. It closes with practical calls for workers' organization, political action, and reading recommendations intended to awaken class consciousness and promote nonviolent collective resistance.

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Title: War—What For?

Author: George R. Kirkpatrick

Release date: November 10, 2018 [eBook #58266]

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WAR—WHAT FOR? ***

Transcriber's Note:

The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.

INDUSTRIAL DESPOTISM, SHREWDLY CALLED FREEDOM.
/

(Illustrating the Wage-Earner’s “Freedom of Contract.”)

WAR—WHAT FOR?

BY
GEORGE R. KIRKPATRICK

“The cannon’s prey has begun to think, and, thinking twice, loses its admiration for being made a target.”—Victor Hugo.

“A nod from a lord is a breakfast—for a fool.”—Proverb.

“The poor souls for whom this hungry war opens its vast jaws.”—William Shakespeare.

First Edition, August, 1910.
Second Edition, October, 1910.
Third Edition, December, 1910.
Fourth Edition, April, 1911.
Fifth Edition, Thirtieth Thousand, May, 1911.
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR,
WEST LA FAYETTE, OHIO
Copyrighted, 1910,
BY
GEORGE R. KIRKPATRICK.
All rights reserved,
including that of translation into foreign languages
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ON PAGE 350.
WAR—WHAT FOR?
SINGLE COPY, $1.20
Liberal discounts in clubs of 3, 10 and 25 or more.
By the same author:
THINK—OR SURRENDER

About 100 pages of elementary economics, politics and organization—for the propaganda of Socialism. (Nearly ready.)

This book is dedicated to the victims of the civil war in industry; that is, to my brothers and sisters of the working class, the class who furnish the blood and tears and cripples and corpses in all wars—yet win no victories for their own class.