At 11am this Thursday, stillness will pervade the UK. Radio stations will pause their programming. Cars will stop in the road. Teachers will stop teaching. For two minutes, the bustle of life will come to a halt.

This is the way that Britain marks Armistice DayAn armistice is an agreement to end fighting, but not necessarily a declaration of peace: the First World War didn't formally finish until a little later. Armistice Day is not quite the same as Remembrance Sunday, which takes place on the nearest Sunday to November 11th.: the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, and the anniversary of the moment in 1918 when the bloodshed of the First World War ceased. 

Ever since, this time of year has been designated for remembrance. In the words of the British LegionA charity dedicated to supporting veterans and responsible for the Poppy Appeal. it is an occasion both to "honour those who serve" and "hope for a more peaceful world".

The world we inhabit is thankfully less war-ravaged. But the "war to end all wars" fell far short of living up to its epithetA nickname that describes something about a person or thing.. Today, the goal of peace seems remote as ever. 

Conflict in EthiopiaA landlocked country in Africa. With a population of about 120 million, Ethiopia represents a melting pot of ancient cultures. has caused 18,000 deaths this year and is sucking in neighbouring countries. Afghanistian continues to experience violence following the victory of a resurgent TalibanA violent fundamentalist Islamic movement that enforces sharia law and denies education to women.. The Yemini crisis has been exacerbated by the intervention of Saudi Arabia.  Mexico's seemingly endless drug warsLike many Latin American countries, Mexico has powerful and well-armed drug cartels that are in constant conflict with the government. have a death toll that some observers estimate at 25,000 this year alone.

These wars might seem distant to people in the West. But the arms industry, worth $430bn, and most weapons, are produced in factories in the world's wealthiest countries.

Across the globe the estimated expenditure on armed forces totals about $2tn per year: all of this destructive potential is on standby. And that is not to mention the nuclear arsenals beneath the oceans and underground, carrying enough force to destroy the world.

As the world remembers the horrors of war, a provocative old question is being raised: why not simply abolish the institutions that make war possible?

Some find this absurd: governments tend to think of the defence of the realm as their most vital priority. "War is horrible," as Winston Churchill said, "but slavery is worse".

On the other hand, some nations thrive without armed forces. There are 31 of them, including Costa Rica, which abolished its military in 1949. Supporters of demilitarisation say this has allowed the state to spend more on the economy and citizens' wellbeing.

No. If the more principled nations of the world put down their weapons, huge populations will be at the mercy of tyrants. We can't stop villains from using force, so the best we can do is ensure it is possible to beat them.

Yes. Only once we renounce force will we discover other means to resolve conflict. Armies do not exist because of the inevitability of war; but war is inevitable as long as armies exist.