"When this movie was released in 1965, the U. S. war in Vietnam had just begun, and antiwar sentiments had not yet began to swell in America. Libertarians, of course, had opposed the war from the start, but at this time, the public sentiment in these united states was generally in favour of deployment. Thus, the average moviegoer did not draw any connection between this film and the war when it was released. A few years later, however, antiwar activists looked back on this libertarian western fondly. The antiwar and propertarian message in this film, however, should be looked upon in a broader context. The message, after all, is timeless. All wars really do resemble the description given by Mr. Anderson. Whether it be the War Between the States, the Vietnam War, or our present wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, governments wage them for the perceived benefit of the political class, and they get us to fight for them. Let us, therefore, dream of a brighter future, a future where property rights are respected and where governments, insofar as they continue to exist, are so weak and powerless that they cannot compel even one man to fight on their behalf."