what's this new trend where you have to vow to counterattack? both sides are doing it. just launch em bro you don't have to tell everyone. let the results speak for themselves

Really throw em off guard and vow to turn the other cheek.

Then counterstrike.

It's a way to de-escalate usually — it shows the other side that you don't actually want to bomb them (forewarning makes missile defense easier), it’s a very high signal that you Could bomb them if you Really Wanted to

Kind of "i'm announcing something big tomorrow" posts

Daniel J. Boorstin called this kind of thing a “pseudo event”