A small toy soldier stands beside a wooden chair with a folded paper boat on its seat.

Original artwork, not a still

William Westmoreland

The military don't start wars. Politicians start wars.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker assigns responsibility for starting wars to politicians while separating that decision from the military. Repeating start wars makes the contrast forceful and deliberately simple. The statement works as a defence of one group and an accusation against another, placing the choice to begin conflict at its centre.

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