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Can you envision another world war ever occurring?

Can you envision another world war ever occurring?


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radcen

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Can you envision another world war ever occurring?

If so, how do you think it would start? And maybe what kind?

I think it's possible. I do think that most countries would be reluctant to engage in a conflict of that size, primarily because they have a lot to lose, but I think it's still possible. I don't think it'd be WW2-like, with countries seeking domination. I think it'd be more WW1-like, where a series of smaller events ends up setting in motion a bunch of falling dominoes and triggers a larger conflict.

Potential scenario: US and China do a "face down" in the South China Sea. Some incident happens, a ship gets sunk. The other side feels the need to retaliate, and it just snowballs from there, dragging other surrounding countries in who now feel the need to protect their interests. This then invokes self-defense treaties, other countries reacting out of fear and/or self-protection, and so on.

Note: I an not saying the it will be us and China and/or over the South China Sea, just throwing that out as a possible type of example.

I am not sure about nuclear weapons, but if they are used I believe they would first be used by a country that is on the verge of losing as a last ditch desperation attempt.
 
Can you envision another world war ever occurring?

If so, how do you think it would start? And maybe what kind?

I think it's possible. I do think that most countries would be reluctant to engage in a conflict of that size, primarily because they have a lot to lose, but I think it's still possible. I don't think it'd be WW2-like, with countries seeking domination. I think it'd be more WW1-like, where a series of smaller events ends up setting in motion a bunch of falling dominoes and triggers a larger conflict.

Potential scenario: US and China do a "face down" in the South China Sea. Some incident happens, a ship gets sunk. The other side feels the need to retaliate, and it just snowballs from there, dragging other surrounding countries in who now feel the need to protect their interests. This then invokes self-defense treaties, other countries reacting out of fear and/or self-protection, and so on.

Note: I an not saying the it will be us and China and/or over the South China Sea, just throwing that out as a possible type of example.

I am not sure about nuclear weapons, but if they are used I believe they would first be used by a country that is on the verge of losing as a last ditch desperation attempt.

The Mainstream Media in the USA keeps demonizing Russia and China to characterize them as a enemy and danger to our State. Our greatest danger is our inept political class not curing the economic problems that are going to drown us in debt. From the Elite point of view, overpopulation of the Planet threatens their way of life and some population thinning would be a good thing. War certainly does that, and very profitably if you already have large means. Military and weapons are the life support industries of the USA and that means "war is good for business." The USA is the greatest threat for war because we want to control everything and not cooperate to the benefit of all. Probably because of the tenous nature of our indebtedness. I think that lots of people want war because of the business nature. Not a good thing.
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The only military options in the past 60+ years have been proxy wars, which are for specific objectives with limited commitment, like to steal oil, and annihilation. This period is already the longest in human history without armed conflict between regional/global powers. There's an obvious reason for that which even Putin admits. By the time it reaches the "larger conflict," like the world wars, nothing can be held back. A conventional, and now obsolete, war with millions of troops on each side *without* using all weapons available would be absurd
 
Can you envision another world war ever occurring?

If so, how do you think it would start? And maybe what kind?

I think it's possible. I do think that most countries would be reluctant to engage in a conflict of that size, primarily because they have a lot to lose, but I think it's still possible. I don't think it'd be WW2-like, with countries seeking domination. I think it'd be more WW1-like, where a series of smaller events ends up setting in motion a bunch of falling dominoes and triggers a larger conflict.

Potential scenario: US and China do a "face down" in the South China Sea. Some incident happens, a ship gets sunk. The other side feels the need to retaliate, and it just snowballs from there, dragging other surrounding countries in who now feel the need to protect their interests. This then invokes self-defense treaties, other countries reacting out of fear and/or self-protection, and so on.

Note: I an not saying the it will be us and China and/or over the South China Sea, just throwing that out as a possible type of example.

I am not sure about nuclear weapons, but if they are used I believe they would first be used by a country that is on the verge of losing as a last ditch desperation attempt.

i hope we go to war with them chinese
 
Can you envision another world war ever occurring?

If so, how do you think it would start? And maybe what kind?

I think it's possible. I do think that most countries would be reluctant to engage in a conflict of that size, primarily because they have a lot to lose, but I think it's still possible. I don't think it'd be WW2-like, with countries seeking domination. I think it'd be more WW1-like, where a series of smaller events ends up setting in motion a bunch of falling dominoes and triggers a larger conflict.

Potential scenario: US and China do a "face down" in the South China Sea. Some incident happens, a ship gets sunk. The other side feels the need to retaliate, and it just snowballs from there, dragging other surrounding countries in who now feel the need to protect their interests. This then invokes self-defense treaties, other countries reacting out of fear and/or self-protection, and so on.

Note: I an not saying the it will be us and China and/or over the South China Sea, just throwing that out as a possible type of example.

I am not sure about nuclear weapons, but if they are used I believe they would first be used by a country that is on the verge of losing as a last ditch desperation attempt.

Certainly. If 2016 is evidence of anything it's that the institutions we believed would protect us from any variety of disaster could topple at the drop of a hat. The solidity of the EU was toppled by an ad campaign and a single referendum vote, the NATO alliance was instantaneously weakened by a single comment by Trump, racist nationalist demagoguery became the mainstream in America in a single year, and with just one President's election the entire military linchpin of our Pacific strategy was thrown overboard with the election of the Philippine's President in June. So can the institutions that dial down the heat that could cause the next war be weakened? Absolutely. Institutions were created by people, they need to be maintained by people, and they can come completely undone by people.
 
Certainly. If 2016 is evidence of anything it's that the institutions we believed would protect us from any variety of disaster could topple at the drop of a hat. The solidity of the EU was toppled by an ad campaign and a single referendum vote, the NATO alliance was instantaneously weakened by a single comment by Trump, racist nationalist demagoguery became the mainstream in America in a single year, and with just one President's election the entire military linchpin of our Pacific strategy was thrown overboard with the election of the Philippine's President in June. So can the institutions that dial down the heat that could cause the next war be weakened? Absolutely. Institutions were created by people, they need to be maintained by people, and they can come completely undone by people.
Very well said.
 
Yes I can see it happening but not likely...... Iran, if they do something stupid and bomb Israel or sink a US warship in the Persian Gulf.
Russia if they invade the Baltic states or any NATO countries. The latter would be the greatest threat to world peace and start of WWIII.
North Korea doing something stupid might trigger a war but not a world war.
 
Yes I can see it happening but not likely...... Iran, if they do something stupid and bomb Israel or sink a US warship in the Persian Gulf.
Russia if they invade the Baltic states or any NATO countries. The latter would be the greatest threat to world peace and start of WWIII.
North Korea doing something stupid might trigger a war but not a world war.
Agreed. I don't see the world willing to go to war over NK. Maybe China, which could make it big, but I'm not so sure even of that. It would have to be truly extraordinary circumstances.
 
Can you envision another world war ever occurring?

If so, how do you think it would start? And maybe what kind?

I think it's possible. I do think that most countries would be reluctant to engage in a conflict of that size, primarily because they have a lot to lose, but I think it's still possible. I don't think it'd be WW2-like, with countries seeking domination. I think it'd be more WW1-like, where a series of smaller events ends up setting in motion a bunch of falling dominoes and triggers a larger conflict.

Potential scenario: US and China do a "face down" in the South China Sea. Some incident happens, a ship gets sunk. The other side feels the need to retaliate, and it just snowballs from there, dragging other surrounding countries in who now feel the need to protect their interests. This then invokes self-defense treaties, other countries reacting out of fear and/or self-protection, and so on.

Note: I an not saying the it will be us and China and/or over the South China Sea, just throwing that out as a possible type of example.

I am not sure about nuclear weapons, but if they are used I believe they would first be used by a country that is on the verge of losing as a last ditch desperation attempt.

Given how stupid humanity is? Of course. I can also see Trump being the catalyst for it. Things are precariously balanced between world powers, and Trump is the bull in the China shop (heheh).
 
Can you envision another world war ever occurring?

If so, how do you think it would start? And maybe what kind?

I think it's possible. I do think that most countries would be reluctant to engage in a conflict of that size, primarily because they have a lot to lose, but I think it's still possible. I don't think it'd be WW2-like, with countries seeking domination. I think it'd be more WW1-like, where a series of smaller events ends up setting in motion a bunch of falling dominoes and triggers a larger conflict.

Potential scenario: US and China do a "face down" in the South China Sea. Some incident happens, a ship gets sunk. The other side feels the need to retaliate, and it just snowballs from there, dragging other surrounding countries in who now feel the need to protect their interests. This then invokes self-defense treaties, other countries reacting out of fear and/or self-protection, and so on.

Note: I an not saying the it will be us and China and/or over the South China Sea, just throwing that out as a possible type of example.

I am not sure about nuclear weapons, but if they are used I believe they would first be used by a country that is on the verge of losing as a last ditch desperation attempt.

There's Kim Jung who is the feckin madman of North Korea.

There's Vladimir Putin, who is the head of the Russian mafia, with access to a nuclear launch button.

There's Donald Trump who is not stable and has the diplomatic skills of a rutting hog and access to a nuclear launch button.
 
Agreed. I don't see the world willing to go to war over NK. Maybe China, which could make it big, but I'm not so sure even of that. It would have to be truly extraordinary circumstances.

The thing is, before Trump had sat down with the Taiwanese President, China may have let it go without much of an issue. But with shaking up relations with China, if something in NK comes to a head (and it can because god damned in Un a flipping crazy ass megalomaniac), China may be more willing to run a bit of interference. I don't know how far China would go, but their government is aggressive as well. So who knows, but there seems to be a lot more potential now for a much larger outbreak of aggression than before.

Then again, Infinity War doesn't maintain itself.
 
Yes, but not in my lifetime as I think it would only occur once there was some sort of universal way to stop nuclear warfare...either by dismantling them all (not likely, imo) or a relatively easy way to defend against missile attacks that most nations could afford and which were extremely effective.

But so long as nuclear war is realistically possible, I do not think the world (as dumb as it is on the whole) will embark on another world war within the next 30-50 years.
 
Can you envision another world war ever occurring?

If so, how do you think it would start? And maybe what kind?

I think it's possible. I do think that most countries would be reluctant to engage in a conflict of that size, primarily because they have a lot to lose, but I think it's still possible. I don't think it'd be WW2-like, with countries seeking domination. I think it'd be more WW1-like, where a series of smaller events ends up setting in motion a bunch of falling dominoes and triggers a larger conflict.

Potential scenario: US and China do a "face down" in the South China Sea. Some incident happens, a ship gets sunk. The other side feels the need to retaliate, and it just snowballs from there, dragging other surrounding countries in who now feel the need to protect their interests. This then invokes self-defense treaties, other countries reacting out of fear and/or self-protection, and so on.

Note: I an not saying the it will be us and China and/or over the South China Sea, just throwing that out as a possible type of example.

I am not sure about nuclear weapons, but if they are used I believe they would first be used by a country that is on the verge of losing as a last ditch desperation attempt.

It is quite likely to occur in one way or another. That is because multipolar systems are not stable and the structure of international security is developing into one. There is a possible structure global security could take that would prevent war, but time is running short and there seems to have been no movement in that direction since 2005, while multipolarlarity has been gaining ground.

The kind of war it will be and the likely participants are less predictable. It is not even very likely that it will be the USA or Russia, though it is possible. But their emergency handling capabilities are relatively well developed and tried. It is more likely than one might think that a nuclear exchange could for instance develop out of a technical blip and human error. With six or eight large to very large powers and a dozen middle powers shifting alliances and pacting in changing constellations and near nukclear capability proliferation certain, the probability of regional wars going evil will increase rapidly. Some country will face the risk of an enemy's getting a nuke first.
 
The thing is, before Trump had sat down with the Taiwanese President, China may have let it go without much of an issue. But with shaking up relations with China, if something in NK comes to a head (and it can because god damned in Un a flipping crazy ass megalomaniac), China may be more willing to run a bit of interference. I don't know how far China would go, but their government is aggressive as well. So who knows, but there seems to be a lot more potential now for a much larger outbreak of aggression than before.

Then again, Infinity War doesn't maintain itself.

The point about the Taiwan incident screwing up any hope of China being a partner with regards to the North Korea situation is something I've said before. We'll find no help there in the coming years.
 
Can you envision another world war ever occurring?

If so, how do you think it would start? And maybe what kind?

I think it's possible. I do think that most countries would be reluctant to engage in a conflict of that size, primarily because they have a lot to lose, but I think it's still possible. I don't think it'd be WW2-like, with countries seeking domination. I think it'd be more WW1-like, where a series of smaller events ends up setting in motion a bunch of falling dominoes and triggers a larger conflict.

Potential scenario: US and China do a "face down" in the South China Sea. Some incident happens, a ship gets sunk. The other side feels the need to retaliate, and it just snowballs from there, dragging other surrounding countries in who now feel the need to protect their interests. This then invokes self-defense treaties, other countries reacting out of fear and/or self-protection, and so on.

Note: I an not saying the it will be us and China and/or over the South China Sea, just throwing that out as a possible type of example.

I am not sure about nuclear weapons, but if they are used I believe they would first be used by a country that is on the verge of losing as a last ditch desperation attempt.

Humans have been around for a few tens of thousands of years.

I imagine that we'll be around for quite a few more.

That's an awful long time to be certain that we won't have one.
 
The point about the Taiwan incident screwing up any hope of China being a partner with regards to the North Korea situation is something I've said before. We'll find no help there in the coming years.

It's not to say that I trusted China to be some source of calm, logical reason on the matter. They've always been rather aggressive, particularly as it related to Taiwan and Tibet. They had traditionally ran interference on NK too, but as they emerged as a global market with lots to lose by conflicts with the West, they were likely more willing to "let it go" now. But they are certainly in "stir **** up" mode, particularly with those artificial islands and stuff, trying to expand their boarders and ignore international rulings on the international/disputed waters.

Trump's complete lack of diplomacy just isn't going to help the situation. And since China is already on the edge with a lot, it can be tipped over right easy. It is definitely a concern.
 
It's not to say that I trusted China to be some source of calm, logical reason on the matter. They've always been rather aggressive, particularly as it related to Taiwan and Tibet. They had traditionally ran interference on NK too, but as they emerged as a global market with lots to lose by conflicts with the West, they were likely more willing to "let it go" now. But they are certainly in "stir **** up" mode, particularly with those artificial islands and stuff, trying to expand their boarders and ignore international rulings on the international/disputed waters.

Trump's complete lack of diplomacy just isn't going to help the situation. And since China is already on the edge with a lot, it can be tipped over right easy. It is definitely a concern.

To be clear, like Russia, China is absolutely an international competitor. Which is exactly why it takes so little to turn them against us even more emphatically when we need help on something we would normally find at least a little common ground on, such as their lunatic nuclear-weapon-wielding neighbor.
 
Can you envision another world war ever occurring?

If so, how do you think it would start? And maybe what kind?

I think it's possible. I do think that most countries would be reluctant to engage in a conflict of that size, primarily because they have a lot to lose, but I think it's still possible. I don't think it'd be WW2-like, with countries seeking domination. I think it'd be more WW1-like, where a series of smaller events ends up setting in motion a bunch of falling dominoes and triggers a larger conflict.

Potential scenario: US and China do a "face down" in the South China Sea. Some incident happens, a ship gets sunk. The other side feels the need to retaliate, and it just snowballs from there, dragging other surrounding countries in who now feel the need to protect their interests. This then invokes self-defense treaties, other countries reacting out of fear and/or self-protection, and so on.

Note: I an not saying the it will be us and China and/or over the South China Sea, just throwing that out as a possible type of example.

I am not sure about nuclear weapons, but if they are used I believe they would first be used by a country that is on the verge of losing as a last ditch desperation attempt.

You forgot one answer: We already have one going on now. It has already started. Just because the boundaries are fuzzy doesn't mean it's not going on. Maybe you would feel better if we called it a religious war instead of a world war but it is going on all over the world right now so I say that makes it a world war.
 
The history of humanity is one of violent conflict. We don't seem to have improved on that front.

Meanwhile, our destructive capability and country-to-country relationships have increased.




It seems inevitable that there will be future wars and that some of them will involve enough countries and landmass to qualify as a "World War." The more important question is: will one of those countries, particularly a desperate foe, press the Big Red Button.
 
Can you envision another world war ever occurring?

If so, how do you think it would start? And maybe what kind?

I think it's possible. I do think that most countries would be reluctant to engage in a conflict of that size, primarily because they have a lot to lose, but I think it's still possible. I don't think it'd be WW2-like, with countries seeking domination. I think it'd be more WW1-like, where a series of smaller events ends up setting in motion a bunch of falling dominoes and triggers a larger conflict.

Potential scenario: US and China do a "face down" in the South China Sea. Some incident happens, a ship gets sunk. The other side feels the need to retaliate, and it just snowballs from there, dragging other surrounding countries in who now feel the need to protect their interests. This then invokes self-defense treaties, other countries reacting out of fear and/or self-protection, and so on.

Note: I an not saying the it will be us and China and/or over the South China Sea, just throwing that out as a possible type of example.

I am not sure about nuclear weapons, but if they are used I believe they would first be used by a country that is on the verge of losing as a last ditch desperation attempt.

World war will always be a potential threat. However I think it is unlikely. I think that a catastrophic flooding that diminishes resources may some day be one of the last dominoes leading to a world war. I am forever the optimist, so I presume altruism will overcome during such a time a catastrophe like that might exist.
 
Certainly. If 2016 is evidence of anything it's that the institutions we believed would protect us from any variety of disaster could topple at the drop of a hat. The solidity of the EU was toppled by an ad campaign and a single referendum vote, the NATO alliance was instantaneously weakened by a single comment by Trump, racist nationalist demagoguery became the mainstream in America in a single year, and with just one President's election the entire military linchpin of our Pacific strategy was thrown overboard with the election of the Philippine's President in June. So can the institutions that dial down the heat that could cause the next war be weakened? Absolutely. Institutions were created by people, they need to be maintained by people, and they can come completely undone by people.

2016 was a damn good year for authoritarian states.
 
2016 was a damn good year for authoritarian states.

It was an extraordinary year for ignorance and misinformation. In fact, I've never seen misinformation so efficiently kick truth's ass.
 
It was an extraordinary year for ignorance and misinformation. In fact, I've never seen misinformation so efficiently kick truth's ass.

Truth is in the eye of the beholder. Lies are for the gullible and truth matter little.
 
Can you envision another world war ever occurring?

If so, how do you think it would start? And maybe what kind?

I think it's possible. I do think that most countries would be reluctant to engage in a conflict of that size, primarily because they have a lot to lose, but I think it's still possible. I don't think it'd be WW2-like, with countries seeking domination. I think it'd be more WW1-like, where a series of smaller events ends up setting in motion a bunch of falling dominoes and triggers a larger conflict.

Potential scenario: US and China do a "face down" in the South China Sea. Some incident happens, a ship gets sunk. The other side feels the need to retaliate, and it just snowballs from there, dragging other surrounding countries in who now feel the need to protect their interests. This then invokes self-defense treaties, other countries reacting out of fear and/or self-protection, and so on.

Note: I an not saying the it will be us and China and/or over the South China Sea, just throwing that out as a possible type of example.

I am not sure about nuclear weapons, but if they are used I believe they would first be used by a country that is on the verge of losing as a last ditch desperation attempt.

NATO needs a strong trip wire in the Baltics.
West Berlin was such a trip wire. Attacking West Berlin would have led to direct conflict between NATO-USSR.

If you look at the Baltics, there is a 60-mile (approx.) border area that Russia can close off quickly. Isolating the Baltic States.

Clearly with Putin playing and using Cold War tactics, NATO needs a strong trip wire in the Baltics. More than they have now

Suwalki Gap


View attachment 67212365
 
A large war yes but I see a world war as unlikely. Maybe it's more hope than vision?
 
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