Prabhupāda: Formerly, the kings would give them free land: "You make your fortune—but on condition: when there is fight, you have to join." That was very easy. He possessed so much land, and he worked hard, and he got riches. Unless . . . "Proprietorship turns sand into gold." Unless there is proprietorship, it cannot be. So therefore kṣatriyas, they were given land: "You take land as much as you like and produce, but on condition that when there is war you have to join."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Europe that was the system also.
Prabhupāda: Everywhere that was the system. That is called . . . what is called?
Harikeśa: Feudalism?
Prabhupāda: Feudalism, yes. What is this nonsense, maintaining so many idle men without any profit? Very, very bad system. And nowadays especially, when there is atomic energy, what is the value of the soldiers?
Harikeśa: We need the soldiers to start.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Harikeśa: The soldiers, they start the war. One stands on one side, the other stands on the other side, and there's one shot, one shot, ten shots, ten shots, then mortars, then tanks, then atom bombs.
Prabhupāda: No, why this is? If you have improved scientifically, let two, three scientists keep flying and the handy atom bomb. As soon as war starts, "plom," finished.
Harikeśa: They have that also.
Prabhupāda: Then . . . why also? That should be the only. It is waste of time. What kind of scientists they are? If you have actually improved in science for killing others by atom bomb, so keep one atom bomb very carefully. Fly in the sky. And as soon as the world-war, "plom." Finished.
Harikeśa: Well, then the other will just send some boats over, and all the men will get out while they're flying in the sky, and they'll just take over the country by manual soldiers.
Prabhupāda: No. As soon as atom bomb is, everything is finished. There will be no opportunity. That is their thinking: "Who will drop the atom bomb first, he will be winner." That's all. In Russia they are adopting this means. They are releasing all the soldiers for other work. What is the use of keeping so many men idle without any work and maintain them, high salary, occupy big, big cantonment camps?
Harikeśa: In America the army builds roads and bridges and things.