World War III

[Obiwanshinobi]

Isn't it ripe for shaking?
I hope it's not, but I'm sure up until the very start of II most people also hoped it'll work out somehow. Sometimes hope is just an umbrella term for deceiving oneself. I fear it's time to stop pretend the hecatomb ripening out there is just some countries' domestic affairs.

[1up]

Your move Iran/N.Korea/China

[Friendly]

Your move Iran/N.Korea/China

I know you are joking, but serious reply: Neither Iran nor North Korea have the means or allies required to start a global war. And China is much too pragmatic; there is nothing to gain for them in an armed conflict which they can't simply buy directly at much lower cost.

[BryanM]

It'll be Germany all over again I wager. Their banks loaned a lot of money out, and they'll want it back. In resources or corpses.

/takes off Tin Foil Hat
/eats a taco

[Ed Oscuro]

hope you enjoyed the new sauerkraut and sausage filling, Bryan!

[Obiwanshinobi]

To be honest, I'm afraid US, Russia and China are no longer needed to unleash some fairly global, or at least continental conflict. They are pretty much one club nowadays (check out where your cherished videogaming equipment was made and where the materials came from).
Remember Balkans? Neither Germany nor Russia can be blamed for what happened there in nineteen-nineties. I can sorta imagine something like that on a greater scale, while the "civilised", rich countries sit on their hands, because enough is enough, World Wars are so last century etc.

[KAI]

World Wars are so last century

Yeah, I want some mecha action.



Diaoyu/Senkaku war is going to be interesting

[njiska]

World Wars are so last century

Yeah, I want some mecha action.

Don't forget your's KAI

[trap15]

China/Russia/Iran/Syria vs. US/EU/Israel

[BIL]

Then the CIA photoshops Putin and a giant panda both taking a shit in a Koran. WWIIIv1.1!

[Moniker]

The only conflict really impending is Israel + probably US and maybe NATO vs Iran. That shit scares me more than a little, although it isn't a very fair fight. Then again, neither was Iraq, and for some reason that still happened. China's benefiting far too much from trade to start shit at this juncture. The land dispute w/ Japan/Taiwan/etc is just sabre rattling to distract/keep ultraconservatives happy: see also GWB vs. gay marriage. Russia, well, I see Russia more pulling some bullshit against nearby neighbors or elements within; it would take a lot more than that for the US to engage.

So yeah, I think WWIII is off the table for the nonce. And mine is obviously the one and only true opinion that matters.

[Friendly]

The only conflict really impending is Israel + probably US and maybe NATO vs Iran. That shit scares me more than a little

Why? Will you be there?

[BIL]

So yeah, I think WWIII is off the table for the nonce.

Actually, it seems to be heating up for nonces lately in some parts. ^_~

[Ixmucane2]

The only conflict really impending is Israel + probably US and maybe NATO vs Iran. That shit scares me more than a little, although it isn't a very fair fight.

Well, currently Syria and Turkey are a short step away from the first real NATO war; if it escalates, it's going to become very nasty very fast. Iran and Israel would join (or start their own separate war) and involvement of assorted Islamic countries, Russia and later China is almost guaranteed. And it is likely to be a nuclear war.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I'm not sure if Islam is necessary to stir it up either. After all, Muslim American citizens tend to behave from what I know, and Turkey is militaristic rather that Islamistic (a bit like Edo period in Japan rather than South American sort, albeit without caste order).
Just trying to come up with a language here, because yesterday's language is not always sufficient to talk about today's problems. I hear the post-Holocaust language applied to the "Israel vs neighbouring countries" case all the time. "Palestinian antisemitism" is nonsense; they are all Semites and Hitler would have liked to see them equally dead.
Above all language, there's something nasty in the air.

[trap15]

The spread of Islamist regimes has only been a side-effect of the root cause. austere could elaborate, but I don't know if he'd care to do so.

[Acid King]

I just hope it comes soon. Fuck this place, man.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Or you can give somebody a hug while they are still around.

[Ed Oscuro]

Turkey is militaristic rather that Islamistic (a bit like Edo period in Japan rather than South American sort, albeit without caste order).

Like all those anti-war protests yesterday showed?

I think Turkey's leadership is just trying to send a message to Syria over the massive killing of civilians in Syria - they'd like to clean them out but not at the expense of fighting a war which would be bad for many more people (at least so far). Syria has chemical weapons and Iran wants to have nukes, but I don't see that turning into WWIII if something blows up in the next few weeks.

[Acid King]

Or you can give somebody a hug while they are still around.

Fuck them. They should have hugged me when they had the chance.... dicks....

[Obiwanshinobi]

Turkey is militaristic rather that Islamistic (a bit like Edo period in Japan rather than South American sort, albeit without caste order).

Like all those anti-war protests yesterday showed?

Edo period Japan wasn't exactly at war (it was after Mongolian invasions and Warring States period). Generalissimus and his pals just kept running the place.
Turkey is a conutry where EVERY man is supposed to serve in the army. As I understand it, even men of marginal usefulness for military purposes. Just the pledge to loyalty of sorts.

[BryanM]

Why? Will you be there?

Considering Iran is liable to fall apart on its own thanks in part to the pressure we're putting on it, along with the goodwill its young people have to the west, a war would be a Bad Thing. Even if it was localized just to that one country.

[neorichieb1971]

Did anyone see Last resort on TV?

I love it when Americans get angry. They just blow shit up and the people look away and think "I didn't see that"...

Well episode 1 was entertaining anyway. In episode 2, well go watch it.. Its some good shit. Pakistan gets nuked and everything.

[Ed Oscuro]

Turkey is a conutry where EVERY man is supposed to serve in the army.

Like the draft during Vietnam, right?

[xbl0x180]

China/Russia/Iran/Syria vs. US/EU/Israel

This will never happen. The israeli terrorists would never ally themselves with the U.S. in the sense that they would never take arms and join us in any military conflict. They're more interested in maintaining power for themselves and throwing around the U.S. to push their weight around whenever they feel like stealing more Palestinian land. As a matter of fact, the terrorist state of israel is one of the privileged few who have been caught spying in the Pentagon more than once... something that even Hamas and Hezbollah have never done. I'd sooner see them all go up in a mushroom cloud as a result of their own antagonistic behaviour before I'd support any kind of "allegiance" to that terrorist filth and watch our people die for nothing

[Ed Oscuro]

Well, those are some fightin' words for sure. We can't throw the state of Israel in the brig, but whenever Israelis come to the U.S., they often raise the issue of a spy who's languishing in a jail here in the U.S. for spying. We aren't going to release him, and they act as if it's a shame. I would agree that Israel gets notably better treatment than many other states, but I think that we secretly have some hots for the Palestinians as well (at least some of us...not one of the current candidates for President, certainly), certainly out of all proportion to their status as an economic power. Few people would dare beat up on them openly (well, aside from Mitt Romney, again; maybe that means all of the Republicans but certainly there are pro-Palestinian forces in both parties). Israel has a lot going for it; for one, many of the West's critical industries have strong representation over there. Intel, for example, has had many of its CPUs designed there, possibly even the one powering the computer you're using to write an anti-Israel screed right now

It's fine to be cautious of the influence of the "Israel lobby," (as opposed to an "Israeli lobby," i.e. there are interests and then there are the general people of a state) but there are many other lobbies in Washington, and if any of them got to be powerful or had a historical link to the U.S. like Israel, it would cause trouble. The only other similar case I can think of is the free Irish state, which has caused us some embarrassment at times, but it's probably a good thing we stuck it out with a relationship, because we were then able to broker a peace.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Turkey is a conutry where EVERY man is supposed to serve in the army.

Like the draft during Vietnam, right?

Not quite. Apparently Ali Ağca's avoidance of service is considered uncool over there. He was well over fifty and ailing when set free, none of which makes joining the army out of the question.
I gather the army is a guardian of secularity in Turkey. Maybe the word "militia" would be more explanatory. It's the people's army in a sense bakufu forces weren't (possibly the reason why the latter lost to the people's revolutionary forces).

[xbl0x180]

... Intel, for example, has had many of its CPUs designed there, possibly even the one powering the computer you're using to write an anti-Israel screed right now

And I also have products made in China, Russia, and Pakistan, as well as use petrol from Middle Eastern countries. So what? It doesn't mean israel gets a by because of that. Fuck 'em

[trap15]

China/Russia/Iran/Syria vs. US/EU/Israel

This will never happen. The israeli terrorists would never ally themselves with the U.S. in the sense that they would never take arms and join us in any military conflict. They're more interested in maintaining power for themselves and throwing around the U.S. to push their weight around whenever they feel like stealing more Palestinian land. As a matter of fact, the terrorist state of israel is one of the privileged few who have been caught spying in the Pentagon more than once... something that even Hamas and Hezbollah have never done. I'd sooner see them all go up in a mushroom cloud as a result of their own antagonistic behaviour before I'd support any kind of "allegiance" to that terrorist filth and watch our people die for nothing

Ah, you got me. You're definitely right.

[Obiwanshinobi]

there are interests and then there are the general people of a state

Funny how people living in the US, of all countries (rather than Sweden and Switzerland - most neutral weaponry exporters around) can rant on about Israel being all wrong. I doubt that people of Spain, Belgium or Republic of Ireland would be so righteous about subject matter.
Yeah, having opinions about stuff is one thing, but having relatives and friends living in Israel must be a different story altogether. The TV shows angry men, but it's women and children who are gonna pay for the war.
I was told Marek Edelman, asked if he would like to live in Israel, answered that he wouldn't as Jews over there had become "too arabised" for his liking (his idea of "a Jew" wasn't very Zionist, you know). Sounds like a stressful place to live.