Confederate General Robert E.Lee saw it as a sign of weakness in the northern war effort.

VOA: special.2009.11.05

If the eurozone does turn the current jaw-jaw into a war-war against the weakness of banks' balance sheets, how much capital would European banks be forced to raise - and which big banks would be forced to raise the most?

BBC: If RBS needs capital, taxpayers will suffer

The war has certainly exposed the weakness of Mexico's criminal-justice institutions.

ECONOMIST: Organised crime in Mexico

Weakness and indecision invite war, while credibility and resolve still have a chance to prevent it.

WSJ: Review & Outlook: The Foreign Policy Debate