Basilat's principle ('if goods don't cross borders, armies will') applies inversely to the current moment: because trade is becoming regionalized and politicized, military conflict is becoming more likely, not less.

Fredéric Bastiat's principle ('If goods do not cross borders, armies will') implies war is a realistic possibility when trade relationships break down; this suggests that the current restructuring of trade patterns creates genuine military risk.

The saying attributed to Churchill ('If you're young and not a communist you have no heart; if you're old and still a communist you have no brain') captures the tension between idealistic and realistic views of systems; neither pure idealism nor pure realism is correct at all times.