Hemingway argues that war cannot be explained solely by economic pressures. He places greater responsibility on political leaders, particularly demagogues and dictators, who can deliberately encourage conflict. In his account, such leaders appeal to patriotism and persuade people that war offers a solution when domestic policies and promised reforms have failed to produce satisfaction.

The passage reflects the political context of the 1930s, when authoritarian governments in Europe increasingly used nationalism, propaganda and military ambition to consolidate support. Hemingway’s emphasis is on political agency: wars are not presented as automatic outcomes of impersonal forces, but as choices promoted by individuals who can manipulate public feeling. The quotation therefore warns against accepting patriotic rhetoric without examining the interests and failures behind it. More broadly, it applies to situations in which external conflict is used to redirect attention from dissatisfaction, weak governance or unsuccessful domestic policy.