Peemptive Strikes, Ramblings of a Gardener.

This world is getting far to complex for me. As an example, there has been much discussion about the legitimacy of the term “preemptive” as in “preemptive war”. Wikipedia defines preemptive war as an attempt to repell or defeat a perceived or imminent offensive or invasion, or to gain a strategic advantage in an impending war.
As a physician I personally have knowledge of many surgeons who preemptively attack cancer with fairly aggressive and even life threatening surgery. Most of their patients have considered them some kind of hero. Wikipedia goes on to state that preemptive war should not be confused with the term “preventive” war since the latter is generally considered to violate international law, whereas preemptive wars are more often argued to be justifiable.
Now I’m really confused! Preventive medicine is deemed to be the salvation of our healthcare system in Canada, and any physician not swearing allegiance to preventive medicine simply is a dinosaur and is costing our system zillions of dollars. Why is it O.K., desirable, and even mandatory, to practice preventive and preemptive medicine, and not preventive and preemptive war? Which brings me to how I began pondering these imponderables.
Yesterday I practiced preventive something or other when I applied a generous portion of “OFF” insect spray to my person before I ventured to do my planting and gardening. For a period of a few hours this seemed effective, but as the day wore on it became obvious that my “preventive” techniques were failing. Being an environmentalist, I hesitated to once more contaminate myself and the environment with this repellent. Instead I attempted to negotiate with the hoards of mosquitoes that seemed determined to invade my space, and I believe, have significant harmful intentions to my person. At first I spoke kindly and reassuringly, on the chance they had an abusive upbringing. Then I became more impassioned since they may simply be misinformed. Finally, I waved my arms in a sinister way, occasionally making impassioned pleas and voicing convincing arguments and warnings. My efforts seemed in vane. It definitely seemed the intent, and indeed, the nature of those creatures, to feast on my body. At last I resorted to a preemptive attack, and although my swatting destroyed many, soon my exposed skin was crimson from self inflicted slapping. It seemed the only solution was to retreat from my yard and garden and become a prisoner in my own home.
Tonight I will contemplate both a preemptive and preventive strike for tomorrow. To recapture the use and freedom that is the right of every earthly creature, I will spray my grass and bushes with a dilute solution of malathion (now I’m going to be in trouble with the environmentalists for sure). The other question is what I could do with my neighbors’ pond that he refuses to drain or treat (my intelligence sources inform me that the pond is the epicenter of the threat). Perhaps a preemptive/preventive strike in the middle of the night? No, no! Not the neighbor; the pond!