WW3 & Reasons to Fight - What are your thoughts?

[Galant]

This recent article asked the question about whether it's possible there could be a third World War.

On the face of it I think the question is a bit naive. Given the reality of human history I think the idea that 'we've advanced too far so that a 3rd WW isn't possible' is a sort of preference for our own age which both highlights the errors of past ages (ignoring their strengths) but the strengths of the present (ignoring our weaknesses). Having said that, the article does point out that there was at least one contemporary writer who, during the run up to the war, didn't think such a great war was possible because of European advancement. For all that he saw correctly He had, evidently, a blind spot, and perhaps it was that all too common blind spot all of us face sooner or later (if not repeatedly) that could be described as, "That'll never happen to me." As with all these things, it's often an enlarged sense of self and advancement that skews perspective, along with the always present inability to know exactly what it is that we do not know. In desiring to avoid or mitigate the worst scenarios prudence is a good partner to walk, although she never goes far without humility by her side.

Any way, all that to say that I think World Wars will always remain a possibility - although, no doubt, the probability differs at different times.

The other side to this that I wanted to bring up was one I had been thinking about prior to this article, following the recent UN probe bringing news out of North Korea. (Examples - Reuters / IBT / The Atlantic) Reading those pieces one thought came to mind and that was that if something like this escalated and lead to the WW2 of my generation, would I feel strongly enough about what was going on to leave my family behind and step up to fight - or what would be sufficient cause for me to do so? Obviously, that's one scenario and by itself it wouldn't mean WW3. Still, if, for whatever reason, resolving a scenario like that in NK required people like me to step up, having read those accounts, I believe I would have to do so. It was a scary thought, the idea of risking my life, and leaving my family without their dad, but honestly, if that were the cause before us, I don't know how I couldn't go and help put a stop to it.

Now, wars are rarely single-faceted affairs, let alone World Wars, so in any scenario there will be more to consider. One could reason that the reality is that this sort of thing goes on all the time around the world and so it isn't a special case. One might also reason that the only reason to volunteer for service in a World War is a real threat to one's own family or country. All of this, and more, bears consideration, especially in this age of information. For me, though, it heightens the need to ask the question - for what reason would/should I ever consider going to war?

What I want to ask is two things:
1 - Do you think a third World War is possible in our lifetime (how likely)?
2 - If such a war did occur, what scenario would be sufficient for you feel strongly enough to step and volunteer to fight?

[Macadee]

“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”

― Albert Einstein

[shaithis]

I think WW3 will happen unless some natural or man-made extinction event happens beforehand.

More people + less resources = inevitable at some point or another.

[Letchy]

“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”

― Albert Einstein

This is a great quote, and really makes you think.
Talking about WW3, I think it is inevitable... It will happen at some stage in time I believe, although it would be nice if we could all just "get along" for once, heh. What I am not sure about is the chance of it being in our life time. I hope it will not happen during my time on Earth, but I mostly hope for it not to happen at all.. However that is probably something which is almost an impossibility with society as it is.

What would make me volunteer to 'fight'? I couldn't tell you. I guess it would only come up if the situation were to present it self.

[OilSheikh]

No one has money these days. All the countries are fighting against recession just to stay alive. Forget war!

And, only US is militarily powerful at the moment. Russia is antique , China ... not too sure , no one else springs to mind.

[wasabi]

Not sure if a 'world war' is possible in the traditional sense any more. The threat of nukes and Mutually Assured Destruction is too great surely? We seem to have moved to an era of 'policing' and 'peacekeeping' missions.

[stilkun]

What I want to ask is two things:
1 - Do you think a third World War is possible in our lifetime (how likely)?
2 - If such a war did occur, what scenario would be sufficient for you feel strongly enough to step and volunteer to fight?

1. Unlikely we will have WWIII but there could be a possibly as we could be starting fighting over lack of resources due to either running out, overpopulation or some sort resilient disease affecting the crops. Unless huge asteroid/meteorite comes hurling towards us or some viral outbreak get to us first.
2. If a war did occur, to be honest I wouldn't know whether we are fighting for good as you could manipulate like propaganda to influence us to fight. I wouldn't volunteer to fight in the front-line, probably I would volunteer to assist somewhere in the background.

[munchie]

can't see any reason why anything to do with north korea will escalate to ww3. unless you are talking about every man+dog vs nk

[Galant]

Not saying NK would result in WW3. If I had to make that argument though I could see it happening in three ways, maybe:

1 - NK invades South Korea, South Korea responds and US backs it up. China supports NK and maybe takes the opportunity to press for the islands held by Japan, maybe Taiwan too. That might be enough cause to see more people get involved.
2 - Same latter scenario but started by US strikes on NK due to their obtaining nukes.
3 - Same again but UN seeking to resolve the humanitarian crisis.

Obviously these aren't likely, they're more like worst-case scenarios, but with the potential for invasion of disputed territories and also Chinese and US backing I think the geography and size of force needed for a World War are there.

As for motivation, I had to take a hard look after reading about the really awful things brought out in the report. If there's any cause worth fighting for, it's that sort of stuff, I think.

[Lucio]

Whilst I don't imagine that World War 3 will be the typically nuclear holocaust typically envisagened by sci-fi writers, I can see a war starting in the next couple of decades over some limited resource or another that spirals out of control. All it would take is for Russia or China to oppose US miltary action and suddenly you start sucking in other countries left, right and centre.

[munchie]

funny.. you do realise that nk isn't really getting any sympathy from china, whether it's the citizens or the gov?
chances are, if nk is ever going to nuke anyone, it'll be china, when the paranoid nk thinks china is going to go in and "sort them out".

if nk attacks sk, a probably more likely scenario would be us/sk hits back whilst china attempt to swoop in for some sort of regime change at the north and hope it doesn't get nuked. there'll likely be some sort of coordination with us so the whole thing doesn't end in complete chaos.

far more likely scenario that would involve conflict between china and us would probably centre on the south china sea. someone in vietnam or philippines or some such engineer some sort of crisis with china with a view of dragging the us into it and things escalate.


re: wwi... not so much humiliation of the serbs as not going to let anyone remotely hostile choke off their black sea entrance.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

A meteorite will hit us and all the neurotic worriers/end of the world nutters will feel depressed.

Before then humanity will find some excuse to fight between themselves,with each side righteously thinking they are the clean,good fluffly bunny lovers,and the other side being the evil worshipping,people eating, fire loving heathens who are uncivilised in enlightened ways,and need to be taught civilisation. No deity centred religion needed BTW.

Just the politics of fear,ignorance and intolerance.

[opel80uk]

I think one of the problems that leads to conflicts has been highlighted quite nicely, but perhaps unintentionally, in this thread. Russia, China and NK are all referred to in various posts, as if they somehow have the monopoly on being the bad guy, and seemingly ignore the role the West has played throughout history, up to this current day, in awful crimes against decency. I can just imagine the guffaws in say Africa, whenever the West talk about what is right and what is wrong.

We console ourselves by pretending that we have proper democracy, and use that as a stick to beat and pontificate over any nation that doesn’t follow suit, unless they have something that we want (Saudi Arabia anyone?). It’s as if we need other nations to join in the charade of our particular version of rule, to help convince us that we were right all along, like an insecure teenager seeking approval from their peers. And if they don’t join in the charade, we resort to the playground bully’s tactics of force, but only if we can win of course, or if we stand to gain from a particular outcome in a conflict.

Sometimes, like it WWII, there will be a force such as Fascism, that will fundamentally change the nature of a conflict. It can only be considered right to stand up to something so evil, but how many conflicts are fought along such lines? Few. Most of the time, it’s just one bunch of working class blokes killing another bunch of working class blokes who happen to be born under a different coloured flag, under instruction from the political classes to advance their own positions, directly or indirectly. If people were half as quick to condemn their own Governments failings, and be prepared to condemn it vociferously, rather than point fingers outwardly, then we may find there less global conflict in the future.

[TheAnimus]

Sometimes, like it WWII, there will be a force such as Fascism, that will fundamentally change the nature of a conflict.

I don't think it was really that simple. If it was, we would have had a hot war against Russian Communisium.

It might have been more to do with the fact the whole of Europe was crapping on the vanquished Germans, demanding impossible reparations. People had a massive shift in their quality of life, politically it was more about restoring Germany to it's former pride, if anything it was an aggressive nationalism wanting to un-do the last wars result.

It wasn't really Fascism. We didn't go to war with the Germans because they where prejudicing minorities!

[opel80uk]

I don't think it was really that simple. If it was, we would have had a hot war against Russian Communisium.

The States came bloody close!

It might have been more to do with the fact the whole of Europe was crapping on the vanquished Germans, demanding impossible reparations. People had a massive shift in their quality of life, politically it was more about restoring Germany to it's former pride, if anything it was an aggressive nationalism wanting to un-do the last wars result.

It wasn't really Fascism. We didn't go to war with the Germans because they where prejudicing minorities!

No we didn’t, but that’s not what I’m saying. Fascism did change the nature of WWII; how many wars have been fought with one belligerent fighting a traditional war on one hand, and simultaneously spending a vast amount of resources on trying to exterminate an entire race of people on the other? It’s just not typical with many global conflicts and that aim shaped the Nazi’s war policy completely. And whilst the nation per se may not have gone to war with Germany because of Fascism, many individuals did. Individuals who may not necessarily have signed up if it had been your typical war based on the usual resource/land conflicts that didn't threaten their own lives.

[Ttaskmaster]

What I want to ask is two things:
1 - Do you think a third World War is possible in our lifetime (how likely)?
2 - If such a war did occur, what scenario would be sufficient for you feel strongly enough to step and volunteer to fight?

War will break out over resources and commercial interests, if nothing else. Countries will side with whoever are their allies at the time.
The primary target of each side will be their opponents' nuclear arsenals.
I will be on the front line in the mud with a rifle, but my reasons are my own... Mostly nothing to do with Queen & Country or anything, but that it's my mates out there and no-one else will do it.