Imagine a tennis court. I am on one side, and you are on the other. We start playing a game, and, in the heat of the match, we are both near the net. You try to lob the ball over me to score, but your ball was not high enough. I jump. I can see it is a sweet point. While I am still in the air, I decide to smash the ball, but, if I do, it will hit you straight in your body. I will score, but it will hurt you like hell. Regardless, I still decide to continue.
You have seen my grin, and that made you even more upset. You have suffered a strong blow and it hurts. Now, you are angry because of that painful hit, in fact — so angry that you do not care about the score anymore, all you can think about is how to pay me back. While no one is looking, you put some into the ball. But, before you serve the ball, my coach saw something strange and tossed me a larger racket.
At first, we played a peaceful game, but it has turned into a cold war.
Each party is trying to create a more dangerous ball and, at the same time, trying to create proper defence.
I add larger nails, and you return with a flaming ball. Then, I return an explosive ball, but you make one that’s more powerful. The game is heating up. Entire teams are working behind us to help us develop a better defence and a faster, more precise, and more destructive offence. For now, no one makes mistakes, as each mistake could be deadly.
At the end, bomb in the air is so powerful that if explodes it would kill us both along with everyone in the arena. We both realise that, whatever happens, we will both die. No one can win this match, but we continue playing. Now, we are both afraid, at this point, we cannot stop, and we know, eventually, someone will make a mistake. Regardless of who does it, we will both die.
Currently, we are in that stage. We have those kinds of weapons — weapons powerful enough to destroy us all. Maybe, just maybe, it is time to rethink what we are doing here and how we get to this point.
War in this day and age is a game that no one can win, but everyone can lose.
So, before you start, ask yourself: what for?
“A strange game. The only winning move is not to play.”
WarGames (1983)
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