George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series is full of intriguing characters and fascinating places, but it also has room for some very insightful philosophical and political ideas as well. While recently reading the latest book of the series, A Dance with Dragons, I came upon one of the best articulations of a philosophical caution about war yet in this series. Prince Doran Martell, while speaking to his vengeance-seeking nieces the Sand Snakes, makes the following observation:
"It is an easy thing for a prince to call the spears, but in the end the
children pay the price. For their sake, the wise prince will wage no
war without good cause, nor any war he cannot hope to win." ADWD 510
Something to think about when considering real-world situations, when there are those voices urging a rush to war at every perceived slight.
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