I have spent twenty years in and around national security, mostly in education or training, and now I am bringing that experience to the public though games. Over the past dozen years, I have focused my research on #informationtechnology and its effects on #internationalrelations and #nationalsecurity. While I love #technology, and believe our world would be worse off without it, I cannot help but notice an entropy in the world pushing people apart. Our current social, political, and educational systems groan under the pressure. As with all previous changes in information technology, the solution lies in the technology itself.Games, especially online games, are the one truly novel experience that pulls people together rather than pushes them apart. People can craft their own unique information sphere that validates their pre-existing worldview, but they cannot create an equally robust online gaming environment full of other players. Playing games together forces people to spend time together, and creates a shared experience in a way that nothing before has. Better still, there are ways to adapt computer games such that people of many backgrounds and with different capabilities can enjoy the same game. A grandfather can be half a world away from a grandchild, and still spend hours with her building real memories of true, shared affection even in a virtual world. A coordinated raid in a combat game destroys nothing, but builds and reinforces relationships.While it would be nice if playing games together led to greater comity and understanding, gaming together can help reduce the stresses in society even if gaming makes everyone like each other less! When everyone reads different books, listens to different podcasts, and watches different videos the words we use lose their shared meaning. If we cannot communicate then cooperation, conciliation, and collaboration become virtually impossible. However, when we play games, the game forces us to communicate in an environment where stakes are low but communication is essential. Practicing communication in low-stakes environments can lubricate the high-stakes communication we engage in every day. Clear communication more reliably reduces conflict than mutual affection. Even loving families fight, but the fiercest enemies can negotiate to avoid war.I do not know if I am right, but I believe the effort is worthwhile. What we have done so far is clearly not working. At least playing games is fun. So what do you say? Will you come play with me?