The war metaphor is embedded not only in geopolitical struggles, but in other kinds of public discourse as well. In sports, in public policy, and in business, leaders employ the same rhetorical strategies as leaders of nation-states preparing citizens to do physical battle. In the same way that national leaders seek to gain public support for war, so do other leaders put the metaphor of war to use in achieving goals. The war metaphor seems particularly common in corporate contexts. Management declares war on high costs. Labor disputes feature clearly drawn battle lines. "Hostile takeovers" are implicitly militant. Not all conceptions of corporate takeovers, however, are in terms of battle; some writers have described hostile takeovers in terms of disease. (High Beam Research copyright 2004)