A Small Talent for War

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A Small Talent for War is an episode from The Twilight Zone.

John Glover plays the role of an emissary from an alien that supposedly genetically engineered humanity. He directly challenges the United Nations to prove humanity's worth, citing their "small talent for war". With the survival of humanity at stake the UN hurriedly establishes an accord for lasting global peace and presents it to the emissary.

However, the emissary was in fact seeking a greater talent for war, as the aliens routinely breed warriors to fight for them across the galaxy. Humanity's "small talent" for war (crude weapons, petty bickering over borders) is not significant enough to be of any use to them, and worst of all, the ultimate goal of humanity is peace. As the ambassador calls down a fleet of spaceships to destroy the Earth, he praises the humans for their "delightful sense of the absurd" and his parting words quote the actor Ed Wynn, "Dying is easy, comedy is hard...You might take some comfort in that".