For instance, you can show that a certain state has acted selfishly towards its allies and that their friendship has thus been dissolved, and then say, 'We on the other hand, if we behave fairly and impartially towards our allies, shall keep their alliance for a long time'; or again, you can show that certain others have gone to war without due preparation and have consequently been defeated, and then say, 'If we were to go to war properly prepared, we should have better hopes of success'.