I recall a time where everyone was relieved that the age of nuclear proliferation was over. I remember the tail end of the Cold War in bits and pieces. The fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and so on. People rejoiced in the fact that we no longer had to worry about global destruction at the hands of something invented less than a century ago. I mean, did you ever see War Games with Matthew Broderick? That freaked me out.
The race is on again. The difference is that there are more players involved this time around. Just like computers and DVD players are cheap, easy, and affordable, so are weapons capable of erasing entire cities from existence.
I remember growing up in the hot summer sun back home. There was always a short window of time where water gun fights were the in thing. Suddenly we were all going home to our parents and asking for money so we could go hit the drug store to stock up. Everything changed the year the Super Soaker came out. They kept getting bigger, able to shoot further, and the thing everyone had to have. The more you and your neighborhood cronies had in your arsenal, the less the other factions in the area would mess with you.
Global conflict would be the greatest thing in the world if it were settled with a good water fight. If this were true, I would so be working for the UN at this very second.