Cologne, 1945. This is a newsreel, so it's US propaganda, sorry about that. But you can see what the city looked like in 1945. It's not cheerful. If you know the city, you will do a double-take, as you recognise it, and yet don't recognise it. This is what war does, people.

It's a shock to see the Hohenzollernbrücke in the middle of the Rhein.

How did it get like that? Well, children, a lot of very scared people flew over in huge airplanes and dropped tons and tons of explosives on this city, while more very scared people shot at them and tried to stop them from doing it. What did it feel like in those metal crates up there, waiting to bomb military targets, civilians, and maybe the odd cow? They sang a song about it. But they didn't sing it around the ladies.

To continue the theme of mass destruction: here's some NARA¹ film footage from World War II. Part 3 shows Cologne. Take a few minutes to reflect on just how easily everything that humans work to build can be destroyed.

And then let's make people think twice about doing things like that again. Better yet: let's suppress them when they suggest it. You know, the way Lewis Carroll said they suppressed the guinea pig jury in Alice in Wonderland. They put the guinea pigs in a gunny sack and sat on them. I suggest doing that with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the next time they tell us the world will be better off if cities look like this.

What does the Hohenzollernbrücke look like today? Much better, thanks. Here's a trip across the bridge on a classic train.

If you're out and about in a European city today, look around in appreciation. And look up at the sky, and say thanks to whatever beings are keeping them clear right now.