Adrian W J Kuah, Director of the Futures Office, NUS, and Bernard F W Loo, Senior Fellow at RSIS, NTU, wrote a commentary about German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s address to the nation on March 18 about the COVID-19 pandemic. She highlighted the problems that arise when one uses the language of war in dealing with a pandemic. While using the language of war to mobilise society and its resources, one shouldn’t go overboard with it lest it becomes actual warmongering.