The American political system is quick to attach the term "cycle of violence" to a variety of hostile environments throughout the world. This phenomenon is always running its course somewhere else. What American officials and mainstream media tend to conceal and/or ignore is how entrenched American policy is in these very situations. In this piece, the game of chess, normally thought of as an intellectual endeavor, has been reduced to a crude game of only the most powerful piece on the board. The game, after a great deal of confusion, will end in a stalemate with only two queens left standing. Despite a great deal of aggression, no clear victory can be declared.