Let's play "Cut the Pie!"

My mother used to tell me the story of how Johnny age 14 played the game;
”Cut the Pie” with a 5 year old girl named Mary who owned a pie.

Mary’s wonderful Pumpkin Pie was on the table.

Johnny said, “I’ll cut the pie, and you get half.”

Mary said “Okay”

Johnny then said, “I’ll cut your half and then you’ll have half of that piece.”

Mary said, “Okay”

Johnny then said, “Let me cut it one more time, then you get the last half and I get the rest.”

Mary said, “Okay”

Johnny got most of the pie, ran behind the barn and ate quickly.

Mary got a tiny sliver, and learned a valuable lesson.

If Israel is Mary in this story, she’s not five years old any longer, and she not dumb enough to play the game in the first place with her own pie.

Why go to the table to open negotiatios with someone who offers nothing?