I hate war. Absolutely, I hate war.

"I hate war. Absolutely, I hate war." These words, spoken by Norman Schwarzkopf, the legendary general of the Gulf War, pierce through the illusions of glory that often surround armed conflict. Here, a man who has seen the horrors of war firsthand—who has commanded armies and led soldiers into battle—speaks with raw honesty and deep conviction. War, in his view, is not a path to honor or nobility; it is a necessary evil, a tragic force that brings suffering, death, and destruction to all involved. Schwarzkopf's words call us to understand the true nature of war, not through the lens of romanticized heroism, but as a force that leaves only scars and shattered lives.

O children of the future, understand this truth: war is not a glorious pursuit of victory or fame, but a dreadful reality that strips away the humanity of those who are forced to fight. The bravery of soldiers, the courage they show in the face of danger, is not a reflection of the glory of war, but a testament to the strength of the human spirit in its most desperate moments. Even the greatest generals, like Schwarzkopf, who are revered for their strategic genius and leadership, understand that war is not a victory to be celebrated, but a sacrifice to be endured. It is a path fraught with suffering, where lives are destroyed, families are torn apart, and souls are forever scarred.

Think, O children, of the ancient wars that shaped the course of civilizations. Consider Homer's Iliad, where the heroism of Achilles and Hector is set against the backdrop of the Trojan War—a war filled with valor, yet also suffused with sorrow and death. Achilles, the greatest of the Greek warriors, fought not for glory, but for revenge, driven by the loss of his beloved friend Patroclus. His rage led him to countless deaths, and even as he struck down Hector, the hero of the Trojans, he too was consumed by a cycle of violence that could only end in grief. Even in victory, Achilles found no solace, for he knew that every battle fought only brought him closer to his own fate. Schwarzkopf echoes this deep truth—war is not a victory to be celebrated, but a destruction of all that is noble and pure in humanity.

Let us also consider the example of World War I, the "Great War," which shattered the peace of Europe and set the stage for the conflicts that would follow. In those trenches, where soldiers fought not for glory, but for survival, war revealed its true face—one of suffering, fear, and hopelessness. The young men who went to battle, filled with patriotism and honor, soon found themselves drowning in mud, gasping for air in the midst of poisonous clouds, and watching their comrades fall. Wilfred Owen, the poet-soldier, captured the brutal truth of this experience in his poem "Dulce et Decorum Est," where he rejected the myth that it is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country. In the face of such horrors, the idea of war as a noble cause becomes a cruel lie—a fantasy built on the backs of those who suffer.

Now, look to the Gulf War, the conflict in which Schwarzkopf played such a pivotal role. It was a war marked by high-tech weapons, precision strikes, and the swift defeat of the Iraqi forces. Yet even in this seemingly "clean" war, where fewer lives were lost compared to past conflicts, the true cost of war remained clear. As Schwarzkopf himself acknowledged, even this short and decisive conflict left a trail of destruction, not just in the physical landscape, but in the hearts and minds of those who fought. The soldiers who returned home, though victorious, carried with them the weight of what they had seen, the images of violence and death that would haunt them for the rest of their lives. War, in all its forms, leaves scars that no victory can erase.

Schwarzkopf's words are not just a personal reflection, but a universal truth: war is a force that transcends boundaries, that touches every generation, and that devours the very souls of those who are drawn into its grasp. It is not a clean, honorable pursuit, but a path of sacrifice, loss, and grief. Even those who lead armies, those who command nations, cannot escape the truth that war is not a glorious pursuit, but a tragedy that shapes the world for generations. No matter the cause, no matter the reason for war, the ultimate result is always the same: suffering, destruction, and a world forever changed.

Thus, O children, let Schwarzkopf's words guide your hearts. Understand that war is not a path to be glorified, nor should it be taken lightly. When we speak of honor and victory, let us not forget the cost that war demands. War may come from the ambitions of kings and generals, but its true consequences are felt by those who must live through it. Let us strive, then, to seek peace, to build understanding, and to resolve our differences not through violence, but through dialogue and compassion. Only by rejecting the illusion of war as a noble pursuit can we hope to build a world where suffering and destruction are no longer the prices we pay for progress. Let us, in every action, seek the light of peace and the warmth of unity, knowing that the true victory lies not in the battlefield, but in the hearts of those who choose understanding over conflict.