Soldiers Don’t Wish for War — And Neither Should We
What If Soldiers Could Go Home? A Reflection on War and Peace
It’s been two months since the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict. During that period, the citizens of both nations revealed their true colours; colourless souls brainwashed by their respective governments. A large fraction of the population supported the idea of a full-fledged war. They wanted their soldiers to sacrifice their lives so that they could show their patriotism on WhatsApp and Instagram stories.
It proved what I’ve known for years: our society is in total crisis.
Anyway, I’ll do an article on the origin of violence some other time. Time for some introspection.
“If my soldiers were to begin to reflect, none of them would remain in their ranks.”
- Frederick the Great
These words, spoken centuries ago, still carry an unsettling truth: armies do not run on questions; they run on obedience.
But what if soldiers did reflect?
What if we, as civilians, stopped to ask: Who are these men and women who stand at the border? What did they once hope for?
The answers might reveal something profoundly human and profoundly tragic about the nature of war.
Dreams Before the Uniform
If you were to ask soldiers what they dreamt of becoming when they were children, long before they wore a uniform, how many would say, “I wanted to be a soldier so I could kill”?
Rarely any.
More likely, they’d tell you they wanted to become:
engineers who build bridges,
doctors who save lives,
teachers who shape minds,
pilots who touch the sky,
Athletes who bring pride without violence.
They dreamt, like every child, of creating, healing, exploring — not destroying.
So Why Did They Join?
Why then do these same people, whose hearts once beat with gentler hopes, end up standing at the border with a weapon in hand?
They do it for us.
Not because they want to kill, but because they believe it is necessary to protect the peace we so easily take for granted.
They do it so we can sleep through the night without fear.
So our children can go to school, and our lives can go on in quiet, daily certainty.
Most soldiers would never celebrate the moment they must pull the trigger.
They do not delight in the thought of another human — who also has parents, dreams, perhaps even children — falling by their hand.
They do it because they believe they must.
The Unspoken Truth: Who Keeps Them There?
And yet, why must they?
If we look closely, we might see the answer is far more painful than noble.
It is not the soldiers who want to fight.
Often, it is the selfish ambitions of those in power — politicians and governments — who keep conflicts alive:
to hold on to authority within their own borders,
to project strength beyond them,
to rally citizens around a common enemy when unity fades.
It’s not that soldiers enjoy war.
Most would rather live out their forgotten childhood dreams.
But power, pride, and fear bind them to a duty they did not design.
A Simple Question: What If Peace Came Tomorrow?
Imagine this:
One morning, news breaks that two rival nations have signed a genuine, lasting peace agreement.
No more threats, no more conflict.
Borders remain, but no lives will be lost defending them.
Would soldiers, as some believe, be restless without a war to fight?
Would they feel disappointed?
Almost certainly not.
Most would rush to pack their bags.
They’d go home, eager to return to the quiet embrace of family, to walk their children to school, to rebuild lives paused by duty.
They’d search again for those childhood dreams — to build, to teach, to heal, to live.
No soldier truly enjoys killing.
If the cause disappeared, so would their willingness to stay.
Behind Every Uniform, a Human Heart
It’s easy, from a distance, to see soldiers only as instruments of a nation’s power.
But up close, they are people like us:
They have fears and doubts.
They carry photos of loved ones in their pockets.
They pray not for victory, but for the day fighting ends.
When we reflect on this, Frederick the Great’s words gain new meaning.
Obedience may keep an army together, but it is reflection that reminds us why peace matters more.
A Final Thought
The next time we see soldiers at the border, let’s remember:
They didn’t choose this path because they love conflict.
They stand there so we don’t have to.
And if true peace were offered, they’d be the first to welcome it.
Perhaps the greatest honor we can give them is not only our gratitude, but our effort to build a world where no one’s childhood dream must be sacrificed to war.
Honor Soldiers, But Work for a World Where They’re Not Needed.
STOP EVERY FUKING WAR!
STOP SUPPORTING VIOLENCE!
A Request…
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This article is a tight slap on the faces of those people who support war. War should always be the second option. A soldier is our protection, but that doesn't mean that we can give commands to him to die for us. We live our lives comfortably even after a war, while the martyred soldier's family has borne the entire burden of the war.
Those who support war should be the ones sent to the front line.