Hey! I totally get where you’re coming from. So, Kipling uses Tommy to highlight the double standards society holds, especially when it comes to how they view soldiers. When Tommy’s not needed, he’s pretty much ignored and treated as inferior, as the civilians in the poem don’t give him the respect he deserves. But as soon as war breaks out, they suddenly praise him for his service. This shift shows the hypocrisy in how society views people based on their usefulness, especially in terms of war. Kipling seems to be pointing out that respect is often given based on convenience, rather than genuine admiration. The contrast between peacetime and wartime shows how respect and recognition are often more about the situation than the individual’s true worth.