There [illegible] a great deal of [illegible] speculation as [illegible] genuine report from a United States Government [illegible] document, authentic or not, has its own [value] as a study of the warfare state.
The necessity for heavy military spending for the stabilisation of the capitalist economy has [illegible] marxist [illegible] report [illegible] social welfare scheme. This latter would make available for all the housing standards enjoyed by the top 15% of the American population. It would abolish poverty and develop and protect water supplies, forests, parks, etc. Alas, such a gigantic scheme would only stabilise the economy for ten years at the most, after which it would have achieved its aims,
Where the report goes further than most bourgeois [analyses illegible] the [points] touched on come as no surprise to marxists - the following might almost come from "State and Revolution" - "The basic authority of a modern state over its people resides in its war powers... On a day to day basis it is represented by the institution of the police, armed organisations charged expressly with 'internal enemies' in a military manner."
Other points display the kind of logic which has made experts like Herman Kahn so well known. Thus modern wars are improving since their killing is more indiscriminate. Previously when the strongest and most able bodied went to war and got killed wars were genetically regressive.
The attempts to work out some substitutes for the non-economic functions of war bring even more bizarre solutions. The war system controls [illegible] first step towards this would be the adoption of some form of universal military service [illegible].
The logic of the Report ultimately derives from its starting point of the compatibility of the war and peace systems with the stability and survival of American society. Whether it is authentic or not it goes a long way in revealing the bankruptcy of the bourgeois order in America.
BRIAN DAVEY