"Most wars, after all, present themselves as humanitarian endeavors to help people"

This quote by Howard Zinn recommends that lots of wars are presented as being defended humanitarian reasons, even though this may not be the true motivation. This indicates that governments often use the guise of helping people to validate their military actions, when in reality they might be driven by other aspects such as economic gain or political power. This quote highlights the importance of critically taking a look at the motivations behind any war, instead of merely accepting the main narrative. It likewise acts as a tip that war is rarely a simple matter of good versus evil, which there are frequently complicated and contending interests at play. Eventually, this quote motivates us to believe critically about the causes and repercussions of war, and to question the official narrative.