WWIII within a decade
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I dunno. I think the level of expected comfort across the developed and undeveloped world has increased a lot since WW2.
I don’t see large numbers of young people willing to die for their country.
I’m not saying it can’t happen, I’m just saying we’re a different and softer people - across the world - than we were a century ago. And that’s not a bad thing when it comes to this topic.
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“It’s almost certain….”
Seriously?
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I dunno. I think the level of expected comfort across the developed and undeveloped world has increased a lot since WW2.
I don’t see large numbers of young people willing to die for their country.
I’m not saying it can’t happen, I’m just saying we’re a different and softer people - across the world - than we were a century ago. And that’s not a bad thing when it comes to this topic.
@xenon Good points. I agree about the softness of citizenry. Countries are also so interdependent (travel, communications, trade)... everything is so much faster and borders so much fuzzier. The interconnected economies also discourage massive "world war" conflicts. I suppose as China's economy/population (and Russia's) begin to age and decay there is motivation to have a military conflict to spur power and growth again. All of that being said... it'll be drones and cyberattacks, no more machine guns, hills, swamps, and parachutes.
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Has anyone pulled off a major successful offensive war in the last century? (Perhaps somewhere in Africa)
What's the point? I might lack imagination, but I don't understand how China going to war with the West wouldn't be economic suicide. It'd be a disaster for everyone.
People are irrational so we have to prepare for anything, I guess.
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All about perception. In Xi's view Taiwan is theirs. Any deviation from that is unacceptable. In Putin's view the west is trying to neuter Russia permanently. He finds that unacceptable and is willing to risk fighting.
“I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~Winston S. Churchill
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I dunno. I think the level of expected comfort across the developed and undeveloped world has increased a lot since WW2.
I don’t see large numbers of young people willing to die for their country.
I’m not saying it can’t happen, I’m just saying we’re a different and softer people - across the world - than we were a century ago. And that’s not a bad thing when it comes to this topic.
@xenon said in WWIII within a decade:
I dunno. I think the level of expected comfort across the developed and undeveloped world has increased a lot since WW2.
I don’t see large numbers of young people willing to die for their country.
I’m not saying it can’t happen, I’m just saying we’re a different and softer people - across the world - than we were a century ago. And that’s not a bad thing when it comes to this topic.
Entirely agree. There aren't enough Hamas murderers/rapists to fill the ranks of soldiers for any war.
Not to imply that soldiers of yesteryear were murderers/rapists, but you know, the lines can blur.
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All about perception. In Xi's view Taiwan is theirs. Any deviation from that is unacceptable. In Putin's view the west is trying to neuter Russia permanently. He finds that unacceptable and is willing to risk fighting.
@Mik said in WWIII within a decade:
All about perception. In Xi's view Taiwan is theirs. Any deviation from that is unacceptable. In Putin's view the west is trying to neuter Russia permanently. He finds that unacceptable and is willing to risk fighting.
I remember a prediction that there would be a Chinese invasion of Taiwan in June 2024. That didn't happen.
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@Mik said in WWIII within a decade:
All about perception. In Xi's view Taiwan is theirs. Any deviation from that is unacceptable. In Putin's view the west is trying to neuter Russia permanently. He finds that unacceptable and is willing to risk fighting.
I remember a prediction that there would be a Chinese invasion of Taiwan in June 2024. That didn't happen.
@Horace said in WWIII within a decade:
@Mik said in WWIII within a decade:
All about perception. In Xi's view Taiwan is theirs. Any deviation from that is unacceptable. In Putin's view the west is trying to neuter Russia permanently. He finds that unacceptable and is willing to risk fighting.
I remember a prediction that there would be a Chinese invasion of Taiwan in June 2024. That didn't happen.
I might be going out on a limb here, but I'll confidently predict that there will be a number of internet articles confidently predicting very bad things that are going to happen over the next few years.
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@xenon Good points. I agree about the softness of citizenry. Countries are also so interdependent (travel, communications, trade)... everything is so much faster and borders so much fuzzier. The interconnected economies also discourage massive "world war" conflicts. I suppose as China's economy/population (and Russia's) begin to age and decay there is motivation to have a military conflict to spur power and growth again. All of that being said... it'll be drones and cyberattacks, no more machine guns, hills, swamps, and parachutes.
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I dunno. I think the level of expected comfort across the developed and undeveloped world has increased a lot since WW2.
I don’t see large numbers of young people willing to die for their country.
I’m not saying it can’t happen, I’m just saying we’re a different and softer people - across the world - than we were a century ago. And that’s not a bad thing when it comes to this topic.
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@89th said in WWIII within a decade:
. it'll be drones and cyberattacks, no more machine guns, hills, swamps, and parachutes.
Eventually it has to be USMC boots on Main Street, Peking.
@Copper said in WWIII within a decade:
@89th said in WWIII within a decade:
. it'll be drones and cyberattacks, no more machine guns, hills, swamps, and parachutes.
Eventually it has to be USMC boots on Main Street, Peking.
Maybe if you start exporting military footwear to China, that would be possible. I can't really see it happening otherwise.
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And why would we want that? What has China done that's so terrible to the US? They built their manufacturing base at the expense of American workers - but that was in line with trade rules that our leaders put in place, and manufacturing facilities our corporate leaders help set up.
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And why would we want that? What has China done that's so terrible to the US? They built their manufacturing base at the expense of American workers - but that was in line with trade rules that our leaders put in place, and manufacturing facilities our corporate leaders help set up.
@xenon said in WWIII within a decade:
And why would we want that? What has China done that's so terrible to the US?
Affordable spicy food?
Just wait until the Indian restaurants arrive. That was the final nail in the coffin for British culinary self-esteem.
OK, maybe 'esteem' is pushing it a bit. We were British, after all.
