"And finally, that it is a tragic shame that we find ourselves at odds with a large portion of that world..." Yes, it's a shame that 'a large portion of that world' finds itself at odds with us. So much so, that they are trying their best to whittle down the point spread.
I'm thinking their bench isn't deep enough to last. You don't invite the world's biggest wearer of cowboy boots to an a$$-kicking contest and expect to survive...