the more insignificant a man has been in civil life the worse it takes him" (43). Kat suggests that Himmelstoss is cruel to the soldiers in his unit because in "peacetime" he is basically a nobody. However, when given power in the army, he becomes a cruel drill sergeant. This example demonstrates the key reason that we fight. Power-striving leaders like Himmelstoss tell us misleading information, or propaganda, to make young soldiers fight.
Soldiers are misled constantly about what they are fighting for. Many soldiers join the military wanting to fight for their country and glory. In All Quiet on the Western Front, when Paul reflects on his teacher, Kantorek, who gave him the main reason to fight, Paul says, "These teachers always carry their feelings ready in their waistcoat pockets, and trot them out by the hour. But we didn't think that of them" (11). Paul relates to his primary reason for entering into the war, which was for his country, said by Kantorek. Paul's teacher, a trusted adult, lies to Paul and his class, like much of the youth who enter war. Many of the adults like Kantorek have not experienced the horrors of war, this leads them to misguide the youth during World War 1 who are also known as the "lost generation." .
In the New York Times, Paul Krugman reveals the reasons that explain why we fight wars. His primary reason is that the citizens rally behind the leaders of their country, thus stirring a patriotic surge. This is especially clear in the recent "war on terror" created by George Bush, which rose his approval ratings exceptionally high. The patriotic feelings released by the "War on Terror" is also the main reason Tim Kahlor, in the previous article, fought in the first place. Similarly, in All Quiet on the Western Front, Kat reveals his perspective for the reason to fight: " 'Then what exactly is the war for?' asks Tjaden.
