It is the Country that is Primary - the People
"When a government recklessly expends the lives of its young for crass motives of profit and power (always claiming that its motives are pure and moral), it is violating its promise to the country. It is the country that is primary - the ideals of the sanctity of human ilfe and the promotion of liberty.
War is almost always a breaking of those promises. It does not enable the pursuit of happiness and brings despair and grief."
http://www.ericblumrich.com/liberation.html
Howard Zinn