"Like a baseball game, wars are not over till they are over. Wars don't run on a clock like football. No previous generation was so hopelessly unrealistic that this had to be explained to them"

This quote by Thomas Sowell is a reminder that wars are unpredictable and can take longer than anticipated. He is suggesting that previous generations were more realistic about the length of wars, which the present generation requires to be reminded of this. He is comparing wars to baseball video games, which can go on for hours, and football video games, which have actually a set time limit. He is highlighting that wars do not have a set time limit and can go on for a lot longer than expected. He is cautioning that wars should not be ignored which they need to not be anticipated to end rapidly. He is reminding us that wars are unpredictable and can take longer than expected, and that we ought to be prepared for this.