It is not true that were the Soviet Union to disappear the remaining states could easily live in peace.

If we gather more and more data and establish more and more associations, however, we will not finally find that we know something. We will simply end up having more and more data and larger sets of correlations.

External pressure seems to produce internal unity.

War most often promotes the internal unity of each state involved. The state plagued by internal strife may then, instead of waiting for the accidental attack, seek the war that will bring internal peace.

The transitory interests of royal houses may be advanced in war; the real interests of all people are furthered by the peace.

War may achieve a redistribution of resources, but labor, not war, creates wealth.

In a zero-sum game, the problem is entirely one of distribution, not at all one of production.