War as 'safety' valve

How do the rulers of a society with multiple internal stresses keep themselves in power? Groups of people with opposing views may face each other in the street, resulting in much destruction.

During the nineteen thirties, a broken financial system led to much suffering and conflict right across the world and spawned extremist views both on the right and left side of the political spectrum. Young unemployed ‘bucks’ with no money were hanging out on street corners, looking for trouble.

It was very convenient to have WWII break out in 1939, effectively mopping up all these ‘troublesome elements’, put them in uniform and send them off to war.

Some 1300 years ago there was a surplus of young bucks in what is now my old homeland Norway and a ‘solution’ was designed by the establishment of the day by equipping groups of them with ships, weapons and provisions and send them off to raid distant shores.

The expectation was for them to bring back wealth in many forms, including slaves. They are now known as “the Vikings”.

The crusades about 1000 years ago were used for the same purpose.

In our day, when the Western Empire is rattling sabres against Putin and Xi Jinping, one can ask whether the war option is on the table to save the political butts of the present establishment?