Once you start a war, you have to win.

Hear, O seekers of truth, the fierce and uncompromising words of G. Gordon Liddy, who declared: “Once you start a war, you have to win.” In this sharp and unyielding statement lies the recognition of war’s terrible nature: that it is not a game to be begun lightly, nor a quarrel that can be abandoned at will. To enter war is to awaken forces of chaos, blood, and destruction. And once awakened, they can only be subdued by victory, for failure brings not mercy but ruin.

The truth of this saying is plain in history. Consider the American Civil War. Once the Union and Confederacy had drawn swords, there could be no turning back. Compromise had been tried and failed. Words had lost their power. Only battle remained, and the survival of the nation hung in the balance. Had the Union faltered, the republic would have been split forever, slavery entrenched, and countless sacrifices wasted. Thus Lincoln, weary and burdened, pressed on to victory, knowing that only through triumph could the nation be reborn.

Or think on the fate of Napoleon, whose insatiable ambition plunged Europe into fire. Once he began his wars of conquest, he had no choice but to pursue victory after victory. For defeat meant not merely retreat, but the collapse of his empire and his exile to distant islands. His downfall at Waterloo shows the peril of this truth: when one begins a war, the road is narrow, and failure is not a gentle descent but a precipice into ruin.

Even in more recent times, the lesson has been repeated. In the long struggle of Vietnam, America entered the conflict with uncertain aims and divided resolve. The war was begun, but not with the clarity of purpose demanded by Liddy’s words. The result was tragedy: a drawn-out conflict that cost countless lives, sapped the nation’s spirit, and ended not in triumph but in bitter withdrawal. This is the danger of war without vision—once begun, it demands victory, and when victory cannot be secured, the cost is unbearable.

Liddy’s words, though hard, are not merely about nations but about the struggles of individuals. For in every human life there are battles we choose to fight—against fear, against injustice, against corruption, against our own weakness. Once we begin these wars, half-hearted effort is not enough. To turn back is to be crushed, but to persist with courage and discipline is to find victory. Every true struggle demands total commitment.

Yet let us not mistake his teaching as a call to hasten into war. On the contrary, it is a warning: weigh carefully before you begin, for once the sword is drawn, the only honorable path is to see it through to the end. To start a war is to gamble with blood, with destiny, with the lives of many. Therefore, one must be sure not only of the cause, but of the will to endure until victory is secured.

Therefore, O children of tomorrow, take this lesson: do not rush into battles of anger or ambition, whether on the scale of nations or in the quiet chambers of your own life. But when you have chosen to fight—when the cause is just and the need is clear—then fight with all your strength, and do not relent until the goal is won. For once you start a war, you have to win—and only through victory can the sacrifices be honored and the struggle redeemed.