"It's queer, when one thinks about it," goes on Kropp. "we are here to protect our fatherland. And the French are over there to protect their fatherland. Now who's in the right?
"Perhaps all," say I without believing it.
"Yes, well now," pursues Albert, and I see that he means to drive me in to a corner, "but our professors and parsons and newspapers say that we are the only ones that are right, let's hope so;-- but the French professors and parsons and newspapers say that the right is on their side, now what about that?"
"That I don't know," I say, "but whichever way it is there's war all the same and every month more countries coming in."
Tjaden reappears. He is still quite excited and again joins the conversation, wonderng just how a war gets started.
"Mostly one country badly offending another," answers Albert with a slight air of superiority.
Then Tjaden pretends to be obstuse. "A country? I don't follow. A mountain in Germany cannot offend a mountain in France. Or a river, or a wood, or a field of wheat."
"Are you really as stupid as that, or are you just pulling my leg?" growls Kropp, "I don't mean that at all. One people offends the other--"
"Then I haven't any business here at all," replies Tjaden, "I don't feel myself offended."
"Well, let me tell you," says Albert sourly, "it doesn't apply to tramps like you."
"Then I can be going home right away," retors Tjaden, and we all laugh.
"Ach, man! he means the people as a whole, the State--" exclaimes Müller.
"State, state"--Tjaden snaps his finger contemptuously. "Gendarmes, police, taxes, that's your State;--if that's what you are talking about, no, thank you."
"That's right," says Kat, "you've said something for once, Tjaden. State and home-country, there's a big difference."
"But they go together," insists Kropp, "without the State there wouldn't be any home-country."
"True, but just you consider, almost all of us are simple folk. And in France, too, the majority of men are labourers, workmen, or poor clerks. Now just why would a French blacksmith or a French shoemaker want to attack us? No, it is merely the rulers. I had never seen a Frenchman before I came herem and it will be just the same with the majority of Frenchmen as regards us. They weren't asked about it any more than we were."
"Then what exactly is the war for?" asks Tjaden.
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Tomado de All Quite on the Western Front, por Erich Maria Remarque. Capítulo 9.
La estupidez del nacionalismo, el mito del "estado", y el sin-sentido de la guerra.
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