In 1836, a very significant battle took place on the American frontier. In an old Spanish mission known as the Alamo, a poignant scene played out. As the sounds of “Toque a Degüello,” a battle anthem that signified “no quarter,” were heard from outside the mission walls, the besieged defenders knew that General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was giving notice that there would be no survivors if they did not promptly surrender.

“E coli microbes have been modified to carry an expanded genetic code which researchers say will ultimately allow them to be programmed… Now, the first living organisms to thrive with an expanded genetic code have been made by researchers in work that paves the way for the creation and exploitation of entirely new life forms” (The Guardian, January, 24, 2017).

The 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) recently met in the Philippines and were “unanimous in their expression of concern about what they see as a militarization of the region” (Reuters, February 21, 2017).

“The world is ‘on the brink’ of a ‘post-Western age’, a leading German think tank has warned” (EU Observer, February 14, 2017). The Munich Security Conference (MSC) report suggested that the age we may now be entering is “one in which non-Western actors are shaping international affairs”—a reference to nations such as China, Russia, and Turkey (ibid.). The MSC spokesman also observed “that if U.S.

“Un” is a prefix in English meaning “not.” Adding it to a word changes that word to the opposite meaning. For example, “fair” becomes “unfair.” Some “un” words describe negative behavior or character, but some describe desirable traits.