Any political crisis sees strategic blows exchanged between adversaries aiming to gain an advantage. The inability to establish a dialogue between those in power and the opposition inexorably leads to increased political tension. Such a situation transforms relatively non-violent threats and bluffs (the “comedy”) into more heated and increasingly harsh exchanges (the “tragedy”). Some of these blows prove irreversible; they may be considered as “investments” in changing the political status quo. These investments can produce positive or negative effects in the short or medium-term. However, they can have perverse effects over the longer term, contributing to a state of crisis.