It was gratifying to see how much one could accomplish in both politics and trade by liberally murdering the other fellow’s soldiers. - Brandon Sanderson

Funny, isn't it, how so many of our stories start the same way, but have opposing endings? In half, the child ignores her parents, wanders out into the woods, and gets eaten. In the other half she discovers great wonders. There aren't many stories about the kids who say, 'Yes, I shall not go into the forest. I'm glad my parents explained that is where the monsters live.'

An army was the sort of thing everyone wanted to have, so long as it was off doing important things elsewhere.

Expensive, yes. But by definition, therefore, not priceless.