Recently in a roll playing and gaming strategy session at a think tank two teams pitted up against each other to play the game ?Risk? using real world scenarios as if war planning for the Pentagon, but really over Pizza and Beer. The game was set with a WWIII scenario where each Region of the World was under fire and attack. The objective of the game was to control the most land surface for your team. The first team immediately said;
?You know we think we need to take everything West of Manitoba, Ontario border for United States since Canada is on drugs. The people in all the Western Provinces hate the Eastern folks in the Provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as they think they are in LA LA LAND; besides we like the vast amount of resources for the United States. Our ancestors do not appreciate Canada claiming that land really, nor do they deserve it with only 8,000 in your military. Face it, you have no Army, Navy, Air Force worth talking about. It is a friggin joke and they exist and are protected on our good nature. Then the Canadian Government talks negative about the United States??
Wow, those were some harsh words; fighting words in fact. Yet when we ran the scenario it turns out the team came up a winner. We checked recent surveys of Canadians who were from Western Provinces and 72% were unsatisfied. Canada has a small army and no one in Europe would come to their aid, so the scenario words for the first team and the United States instantly doubled its territory. Team one gets a heck of lot of points and with the resources does not need to worry about a half burnt down Europe or hostile Asia for resources or even the Middle East for oil anymore. Now then the rules are such that we also look at the downside of such an action.
Team one would have left the Ontario, Quebec Provinces, which would be hostile towards them, but with re-enforcement on the North East State Borders this was easily curtailed and Canada Surrendered. Now then we don't know if running right over and taking half off Canada off their hands was a smart move but the strategy worked. The political US Liberal Blue States went along with the attack as well, because it would prevent the crossing of insurgents over our borders from Canada and add more liberal leaning populous to vote in elections. Canadians in the Western Province were very happy to be part of the United States and increase their trading without tariffs, quotas or restrictions and this added more Mexican and Central American trade as well.
Among the Team One comments to defend their actions they said that; ?Canada needs a reality check big time and they need to stop talking negative about America. It is not Ego when the US says they are better, it is the truth look at the Canadian weakness and pathetic military? They would fold faster than Poland and France did in WWII and certainly faster than Iraq. The costs of the war would be nil as it could be a training exercise with few casualties.?
Indeed on review the Team One plan worked in every regard and they won additional points for their plan. If you like doing war planning or thinking in the abstract, perhaps you might join us online. Anyway think on this.