If
today’s equivalent in politics to the old game, ‘rock, paper, scissors’
is provocation, deterrence, retaliation, then it falls to us sitting in
our armchairs to take some time to determine which action is which.
Here then, a short list. (Only one of three answers is allowed for each
event: ‘p’, ‘d’, or ‘r’.)
Dissolution of Warsaw Pact
Enlargement of NATO
Withdrawal from ABM treaty
Withdrawal from INF treaty
Withdrawal from CFE treaty
Withdrawal from JCPOA
Overthrow of Viktor Yanukovych
Annexation of Crimea
Russian invasion of Ukraine
Ukrainian invasion of Russia
Hamas (et al.) incursion from Gaza
Israeli incursion into Gaza
‘anti-Zionist’ demos
‘pro-Israel’ demos
Nancy Pelosi visit to Taiwan
Vladimir Putin visit to Pyongyang
Ismail Haniyeh invitation to attend Iranian presidential inauguration
Benjamin Netanyahu invitation to address US Congress
US military exercises in the Gulf, Red Sea, and Eastern Mediterranean
Chinese military exercises in Taiwan Strait
Russia & China bomber flights near Alaska
North Korea missile flights near Japan
Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping
US, UK attacks on Yemen
Iranian missile strikes on Israel
Israeli missile strikes on Iran
Israeli bombardment of Lebanon
Hezbollah bombardment of Israel
Political assassinations