General

Gordon raised his silver brows. "You are so naive. In a world with such weapons as we have there can be 'no all-out-wars.' It would be suicide for us all. Instead we win by undermining the economics of the other countries - war by another name. Once undermined, the citizens are stressed and easy prey to fundamentalism. They are "on the ropes" with their national mental health: drinking, taking drugs, or starving. Soon they are at war with one another, citizen X will kill citizen Y over a small difference of religion or perhaps a loaf of bread. Who will be our competitors then? No-one! They'll be lining up at the boarders just to be our road sweepers. So don't look at me like that you idiot, war always causes death, only this time we just supply the weapons, every shade of dogma and hold back on the things they need for basic living. Now get out; I have a war to win."