Diplomacy
 

I was just reading a Star Trek book and Mr Spock had an interesting take on diplomacy.

"Diplomacy is the art of prolonging a conflict."

Another way of looking at it is diplomacy delays inevitable conflict until your forces are ready.

There is an old Vulcan proverb, only Nixon could go to China

The man was a study in contradictions.

Of course, Shakespeare's best in the original Klingon.