There are always side effects to geopolitical powerplay. The lives of the "them" are never as valuable in an "Us vs Them" scenario especially when the players a

There are always side effects to geopolitical powerplay. The lives of the "them" are never as valuable in an "Us vs Them" scenario especially when the players and their motives are complex. The modern hegemony is the same as those of the ancient world. We just have better projectile weapons.