I completely agree that the comparisons to war are way overdone. However if this is your perception of war, then there is a lot that isn't really accurate. 1.

I completely agree that the comparisons to war are way overdone. However if this is your perception of war, then there is a lot that isn't really accurate. 1. If everyone doesn't go home it's a crisis, it's NEVER ok 2. We work unbelievably hard to try and find "viable, co-operative alternatives" and, at least in modern warfare, there is almost never a singularity of purpose 3. "Crushing" your competition hasn't worked since WWII - even then we worked to rebuild afterwards. Building Partnerships is a key tenet of modern warfare 4. On the ground negotiations are a daily/standard practice in the shit even if they aren't formal diplomatic negotiations 5. Low-Intensity war has been the standard for over a decade now too...and being in a warzone for a year at a time is not uncommon So there's things to be learned on either side and it's worth really understanding both to have a full picture.