What is this "tin soldier" referring to?

I heard the song “One Tin Soldier” many times and never bothered to find out who or what the “tin soldier” really is, until now. It is a good question.

I searched the internet and there are many conflicting opinions in many shapes and forms. I don’t think any one of them is final and absolute but they can be roughly divided into two groups.

The first group thinks the “tin soldier” is a heroic figure, a champion of the “mountain people” and “Peace on Earth”. Some go as far as saying it is Jesus returning on the judgment day. This view was particularly popular after this song was selected as the theme song in the movie “Billy Jack (1971)”.

However, I tend to agree with the second group who thinks the “tin soldier” is NOT a heroic figure. Rather, it represents people who are “heartless”, like the tin man in “The Wizard of Oz”, and war-loving. Similar reference to the “tin soldier” can be found in other anti-war songs of the 1960’s and 70’s, such as “Ohio (1970)” by Neil Young, which mourned the shooting death of 4 anti-war protesters in Ohio during Richard Nixon’s presidency. The lyrics go like this.

“Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We're finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio. “

Finally, I found a quotation from the following link which, in my opinion, gives the most interesting interpretation of the whole song.
http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=113

{Quote}
One Tin Soldier (The Legend of Billy Jack)
….
The song was written during the anti-war movement of the late 60's. Also going on at that time was the Six Day War of 1967 in Israel.

The "Kingdom on a mountain" is none other than The Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It sits on Mt. Moriah. The people of the valley are the Muslim or Palestinian people who live in the Kidron Valley adjacent to Mt. Moriah.

The Stone with the treasure underneath it is the stone that the Muslims claim Mohammed ascended and the Jews claim was the base in The Holy of Holies. The treasure underneath "the stone" which is up to 120ft.under the Temple mount is where the supposed hidden treasure of the Jewish treasury was. The Templars of the early 1000 a.d. were said to have found this treasure.

There is also another definition of the term "treasure" as used in the song. It is said that buried beneath the temple is the Ark of the Covenant. This is a wooden box, covered in the purest gold, containing the Ten Commandments. These are the rules that God gave us to allow a peaceful world. Thus the treasure saying, "Peace on Earth"

The song closely discusses details of "The Crusades". The people of the Valley who did not want to share were none other than the leader of the Muslims, Saladin the Turkish leader who had restricted visitation of other religions to Jerusalem which in turn initiated the crusades.

Saladin (the Muslims) did regain the Temple Mount. So, the song's message is that we fight wars and shed blood for greed in the name of our God's but God just wants "Peace on Earth" as was written on the stone when it was turned over.

The One Tin Soldier riding away just says that masses die in war on both sides and only one or a few are left. It sarcastically says go ahead and do evil but you will not escape your deeds on Judgment Day.
…
{End Quote}

tin soldier : 錫兵，即是用金屬"錫" 製的士兵玩具或模型。