Quote of the Day by Herbert Hoover on war amid US-Israel-Iran conflict: ‘Older men declare war, but…’

“Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die.” — Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States

In the past few years, the world has seen multiple conflicts across the globe, with some of them escalating into full-blown wars. Be it Russia-Ukraine or Israel-Palestine, lakhs of people — both civilians and military — lost their lives owing to the conflicts that have been started by the governments and ruling parties of these nations. The latest in the list is the war in Iran, which erupted over the weekend after the US and Israel launched strikes on the country and the situation quickly escalated as Tehran fired back.

Quote of the Day by Herbert Hoover

In today's quote of the day, we reflect on former US President Herbert Hoover's take on wars, as he said during his presidency.

“Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die” — Herbert Hoover had said in 1944, when the world was on the brink of World War II.

What does the quote mean?

The quote essentially talks about the price of war on humanity.

The first part of this quote of the day says, “Older men declare war.” This means that political leaders, who are usually old, and their governments are the ones who typically declare wars from their offices. They are usually the ones who make decisions on starting wars.

It then says, “But it is the youth that must fight and die.” This part of the quote indicates that young people who are typically conscripted into the country's military are at the forefront of the war. They are at most risk of facing the blows of wars and are most likely to die fighting for their countries. There is typically little impact on the people who declare the wars in the first place.

Why does it matter now?

The quote assumes importance during the current situation in the Middle East as several countries are now involved in the war in Iran.

Three American service members have been killed and five others seriously wounded during the US attacks on Iran, the military announced on Sunday, marking the first American casualties.

US President Trump said there could be more casualties in the coming days.

“We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen,” Trump said in a video posted to his Truth Social platform on Sunday afternoon. “And sadly, there will likely be more before it ends. That's the way it is. Likely be more, but we'll do everything possible where that won't be the case.”

In the roughly six-minute video, Trump called those killed “true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives.”

He said the US will avenge their deaths.

Trump earlier told the Daily Mail in a phone interview on Sunday that the US troops who were killed were “great people”.