Quote by George Orwell
War, it will be seen, is now a purely internal affair. In the past, the ruling groups of all countries, although they might recognize their common interest and therefore limit the destructiveness of war, did fight against one another, and the victor always plundered the vanquished. In our own day they are not fighting against one another at all. The war is waged by each ruling group against its own subjects, and the object of the war is not to make or prevent conquests of territory, but to keep the structure of society intact.
Summary
This quote suggests that in the past, wars between countries were fought for territorial conquest and plundering by ruling groups. However, in the present day, wars are no longer fought between nations but rather within nations. The quote argues that the objective of these internal wars is to maintain the status quo and preserve the existing social structure rather than acquire new territory. Essentially, it points out the shift from external conflicts between countries to internal conflicts within a society.