Crashing the Car of Pax Americana

“You cannot unring this bell. Sure, you can reverse this policy and that policy, and god knows we’re going to get plenty of that, but you can never go back to the way things were before. Once you toss over the game table, even if you reset the table exactly as it was before, the other players must take into account the possibility that you will toss it over again. Their reactions in every game you play with them in the future will be different, much more wary and suspicious, and game outcomes that required a measure of trust and coordination will now be completely out of reach. You may still be the most able game player overall, but you will be surprised by how clever the less ‘powerful’ players can be, especially if they work together.”