I think most of us have had a childhood or perhaps an adult experience of competing against someone who treated the rules of engagement with disdain.  I don’t mean a benign or bemused misunderstanding, like my mother’s version of UNO.  I mean someone who is so desperate to win, that they reject propriety and fairness without shame or fear of consequence.  Having had multiple such encounters, my reactions were mostly to just move on…maybe an occasional interjection of disgust and disappointment…but it was Monopoly or Sorry or Parchesi, who gave a crap?

Suddenly, we have found ourselves in a real-life game, fighting for our freedom, our democracy, the very essence of how we live and work together and one side is not playing by any rules.  The batshitiness of this conflict is, that when the bad guys win, (which they most assuredly will…I mentioned that they are not hampered or regulated in any way), their prize will be the same as ours…chaos.  Every societal advancement will be diminished, despots will reign and freedom will simply be much, much less freedom-like.  This is that backed-into-a-corner-with-no-way-out moment when we need to fight fire with fire, take the gloves off and save ourselves.