Picket fences instead of barbed wire?

"There's a hornet's nest out back. You and your buddy talk about what to do about it. He says, 'I'm going to hit it with a stick.' You say, 'No, don't do that. Let's think about another way to deal with the problem.'

He says, 'I'm going to hit it with a stick.' You plead, 'Don't do this. Maybe we can smoke them out. Ask others what to do. Find some other solution.'

He says, 'I'm going to hit it with a stick.' You reply, 'No, really, let's—' He then hits the nest with a stick. Hornets go flying everywhere. They sting whomever they can find. As chaos ensues, your friend looks at you and says, 'Hey, don't tell me that it was wrong to hit it with a stick. That would be a waste of time. Tell me what's your solution for dealing with the problem now.'"

David Corn