\"There\'s another side to that coin\"
Your points about proportionality are well taken. Let me add this, which is not unrelated to game theory:
If A is attacked by B and A reacts disproportionately but does not eliminate B, then the next time that B intends to attack he will know what to expect from A. Which means that either B will refrain from attacking (in which case, deterrence works), or B will attack more massively than originally intended, since the response will be devastating but not conclusive) in any case. In other words, the escalation of by one side raises the stakes for both sides, for the whole conflict.
...I dare not add the assumption that both sides are rational. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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