I was in Portsmouth, yesterday, with the family, and spent a fascinating day at the historic dockyard, looking at HMS Warrior, HMS Victory and the Mary Rose.
Whilst on the deck of the Victory – standing on the very spot where Nelson caught his fatal musket ball – I was just telling my son (8) about the circumstances of the Battle of Trafalgar, Napoleon, and all that, when my daughter (6) piped up in a small but strangely adamant voice…
“Why do we have wars anyway?” she said, “everyone shooting at each other – What’s the point of them?”
I thought for a moment about explaining the concept of balances of power and hegemonies, but then had to concede that her argument was actually much more convincing than mine.
1-nil to the innocence and optimism of youth.