This post is designed primarily to divert any commentary NOT directly relevant to WWIV (hi Piet).
It also provide an opportunity to pass on this beautifully formulated statistic:
"Human lifespans in developed countries have been increasing 15 seconds every minute for the past 125 years ..."
This fanged Hyperstitional Megaconstruct revisited at the Corner, with a link to Norman Podhoretz's introductory essay on the subject.
Spreading this meme promotes escalation, so the stakes are obvious.