One of my favourite World War II films of my childhood is The Guns of Navarone. I think most of you know the story of the Greek island and the two massive German guns stopping any allied ships from getting through, and they were destroyed by the heroes played by Gregory Peck and David Niven. It still is one of my favourites. In those days (1961), they tried to bring the highest and most beautiful of humanity from the war, still fresh in the memories of my parents’ generation.

In our own days, whilst we are so afraid, we can find some consolation in this short dialogue from this film:

Cohn: Do you think they’ve got any chance at all, sir?

Commodore Jensen: Frankly, no. Not a chance in the world. I should be very surprised if they get even halfway to Navarone. Just a waste of six good men. However, I suppose that doesn’t matter, considering how many have been wasted already. I’m glad it’s not my decision; I’m only the middleman… Still, they may get there, and they may pull it off. Anything can happen in a war. Slap in the middle of absolute insanity people pull out the most extraordinary resources: ingenuity, courage, self-sacrifice. Pity we can’t meet the problems of peace in the same way, isn’t it? It would be so much cheaper for everybody.

Cohn: I never thought of it in just that way, sir. You’re a philosopher, sir.

Commodore Jensen: No. I’m just the man who has to send people out on jobs like this one.