Historian, Jim Powell, On the Senselessness, Stupidity, And Needless Tragedy of World War One

"None of this was inevitable. If the horrors of the Napoleonic Wars had remained fresh in people's minds - rather than having conquests glorified by 'progressives' - and if the laissez-faire policies of Richard Codben and John Bright (two British textile entrepreneurs who strongly opposed colonialism and imperialism and who strongly supported trade) had been continued, there never would have been a world war. Maintaining a separation of the economy and the state would have prevented politicians from turning business competition into political and military conflicts. There wouldn't have been nasty trade wars and empire-building, contributing to paranoia and the arms race. If governments had let people live their lives as freely on one side of the border as on the other, there wouldn't have been much political support for war. What would have been the point?"............Well said, Mr. Powell. Well said (especially the part about protectionism almost always leading to conflict).