Dan W, "Diplomacy"

"Did you ever play a board game called DIPLOMACY? It's a great game. Totally absorbing a fun, despite the underlying darkness. It's kind of like RISK, only with no dice. All of the moves are done simultaneously, as written orders are submitted and then read together. Anyway...the fun thing about Diplomacy is that your success in the game is totally dependent upon your ability to negotiate, make deals, break deals, stab your friends in the back and still be able to laugh with them over a beer, etc. But despite the fun, the game is also extraordinarily dark.

In a kind of weird, microcosmic way, DIPLOMACY (the game) takes a pretend snapshot of what actually happens on a global scale- where billions of actual lives lie in the balance- between nations whose leaders and chief diplomats play "the game" for real. And here's the thing: The leaders of nations will do anything, say anything, lie about anything, to win the game. Because of course the way they see it, the very survival of their way of life, and of the nation whom they purport to represent, is at stake. And why do I make this point? Because if you believe one iota of what your governmental leaders tell you, then you are a fool.

And I do not mean that in a pejorative sense. I mean it in a most real and basic sense. If you believe the words of your political leadership, you fail to recognize that they will say and do and lie about anything in order to win the game. Winning the game is all that matters. Means and ends and all of that moral and ethical stuff? Not even a consideration...unless of course employing the ethics or morality "game card" can help you win. So as we listen to all of the words coming out of Washington- whether it be Bush or Obama or Clinton or Reagan or Ike or Truman or whomever- understand that these words are not intended to be true. They are only intended to help sway public opinion in favor of the speaker so that he might gain a leg up on his opponent in the game. And as we watch our government undertake actions and create policies in our names, understand that they do so not because such policies or actions are moral or ethical or justified; they do so to beat their opponents and to win the game. Winning the game is all that matters. End of story."

Dan W, http://ashizashiz.blogspot.com/

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