Will there ever be another World War?

Liv's Runaway Snail

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I thought it would fun to bring up this depressing topic. And I realise that most of us have heard that old saying:

?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

So what do you think? Is another world war inevitable? How soon? Will it definetly be fought with nuclear weapons? And why?

And please be respectful of everyone's opinions.
 

Strazdas

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May 28, 2011
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There is already world war 3. It sis beign fought in the information space and not with atomic bombs though. we keep hearing about those government manufactured viruses spreading in coutrnies they dont like, from all sides of the world. others maknig defence systems against them. Its a war noone calls a war because it doesnt blow shit up.
 

Dirge Eterna

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Yes it is inevitable as politicians do not learn from the past and they almost always need a scape goat or a demon to blame for their countries woes. As the major powers draw down on supporting and restraining their allies many countries will feel it is acceptable to take up where they left off with previous wars, border disputes, skirmishes and score settling. The UN is a toothless tiger and can't really do damnit to prevent things, they can respond economically against countries that commit crimes but even that isn't guaranteed. Just look at Syria and the way Russia prevented any action because they sell so much tech and weapons to Syria.

I think the next World War will start off small and eventually pull in the major powers. If it has nuclear weapon usage it will be from a smaller country either looking to win a quick victory or to stave off a major defeat. Using them quickly and often will merely destroy the land and people on it and poison the future even if they win the war. Even the craziest dictator can see that, most countries just want to have a dick measuring contest to say hey look at us we are advanced we have nuclear weapons too! With the level of technology in warfare we have today any war where the parties are not on the same technological level will end quickly as far as major engagements. It will eventually boil down to partisan warfare like in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have the ability to wipe out the entire control and command base of almost any enemy. Any war will eventually end up as a war of attrition not only in men and materiel but in technology. We will burn through all the high tech stuff much faster than we can build more, older technology weapons systems and vehicles will be brought back online and forced conscription will be brought back. The core of professional soldiers will be used up quickly since the US has such a small military compared to many other countries. The new troops will be forced to use the lower level weapons so that we can train them fast enough to push them out to the battlefield.
 

Esotera

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I can see a World War being fought over energy & resources, or possibly if America is completely fucking retarded and wades into something like Syria. I doubt it would be much different from conventional wars, apart from for the use of drones.
 

Valagetti

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Aug 20, 2010
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Haven't seen this thread for a while. People will go, they'll fight over resources and shit, welp they already done.
Its hard to say if theres gonna be another WW, I think they'll need some big insane dictator type. Maybe North Korea will start it, who noes???
 

Kolby Jack

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Apr 29, 2011
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Nah. World War 2 left an unignorable, unforgettable, horrific impact on the world, and it was followed by the Cold War, in which multiple generations of people lived through constant threats of total annihilation. Then comes the information age, where billions of people all over the world are suddenly able to talk to one another at a capacity which grows exponentially each day. It's easy to see today that the younger generations are already fed up with the bullshit still left over from wars past and want to move forward, forgive and forget. The two biggest points of tension are the Middle East with Iran and the Pacific with China and it's neighbors. Iran's oppressive regime is living on borrowed time, their military sucks and they have almost NO allies. China is economically tangled with the US to the point that neither really wants to do anything to each other, and their biggest ally, North Korea, is so backwards and insane that even China hates them at this point.

I'm not naive enough to say that we're on the fast track to world peace or that we're moving past violent conflict, because clearly we aren't. But huge, grandiose wars fueled by bigotry and propoganda with death tolls in the multiple millions aren't going to happen. Anyone who thinks so is just so cynical that they've become blind to the positive trends made by people in the modern world. And that's just sad.
 

ScorpionPrince

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Kolby Jack said:
Nah. World War 2 left an unignorable, unforgettable, horrific impact on the world, and it was followed by the Cold War, in which multiple generations of people lived through constant threats of total annihilation. Then comes the information age, where billions of people all over the world are suddenly able to talk to one another at a capacity which grows exponentially each day. It's easy to see today that the younger generations are already fed up with the bullshit still left over from wars past and want to move forward, forgive and forget. The two biggest points of tension are the Middle East with Iran and the Pacific with China and it's neighbors. Iran's oppressive regime is living on borrowed time, their military sucks and they have almost NO allies. China is economically tangled with the US to the point that neither really wants to do anything to each other, and their biggest ally, North Korea, is so backwards and insane that even China hates them at this point.

I'm not naive enough to say that we're on the fast track to world peace or that we're moving past violent conflict, because clearly we aren't. But huge, grandiose wars fueled by bigotry and propoganda with death tolls in the multiple millions aren't going to happen. Anyone who thinks so is just so cynical that they've become blind to the positive trends made by people in the modern world. And that's just sad.
Wow, I couldn't agree more with what you said, that was very well worded. I'm curious though, do you think a civilisation can have advanced enough technology to prevent violent conflicts?
 

Olas

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Dec 24, 2011
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I doubt there will ever be another war that vaguely resembles WWII if that's what you mean. Future wars are going to be fought with information, nukes, or sticks, probably in that order.
 

Forst1999

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There will always be wars, but a full-blown world-war seems highly unlikely. Ressource-wars are popular in sci-fi, but with all the ressources wars COST a big war over them is in nobodies interest. With the global economy being as connected as it is, the cost of the major industial nations fighting each other would be astronomical - and only wars between major industrial nations would be noticable enough to classify as a world war.
Then we have the nuclear weapons that still give halt to conventional warfare between nuclear powers. And if the very ideological sides in the cold war managed not to blow each other up, todays politicians won't either. Of course that doesn't go well from alone, but we shouldn't see it to cynical.
While wars with isolated countries are likely and nuclear attacks from small parties are a horrible possibility, big wars between global powers are extremely unlikely. With the economical downsides and the risk of nuclear excalation, no side can hope to win much.
 

Nieroshai

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Anyone who thinks it can't happen doesn't know the human race well enough. That being said, who knows what it would take to set it off?
 

MrHide-Patten

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Unless they could kill foreigners with Call of Duty, I don't see a war on a similar scale happening again.
 

CrazyCapnMorgan

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Nieroshai said:
Anyone who thinks it can't happen doesn't know the human race well enough. That being said, who knows what it would take to set it off?
I do not know, nor do I ever hope to realize, what it would take to "set it off", but if it does happen, remind yourself of this famous quote:

"I do not know what weapons World War 3 will be fought with, but I can tell you that World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones."
 

zumbledum

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i dont think there will ever be a world war like the ww2 again, ie one where one country makes a push for global domination. the yanks are capitalists not ideologists they will only go after resources, the Chinese might go for influence but they are way more likely to act economically. no one else is a player atm, which ofc changes depending on various future techs like fusion, nano fibers etc

but a war that affects the world? seems pretty likely. 2 likely contenders.

Pakistan and India religious zealots with nukes on both sides and they really fuckin hate each other. best chance for global destruction as they already have the nukes to wipe us all out.

Iran and Palastine more religious nutters more nukes definitely on one side possibly on both.

but who knows how fast the world will change, maybe it will be the Peoples democratic googal vs the Imperium of Microsoft over the last clean water reserves.
 

OneCatch

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Tanis said:
I thought we WERE in a sort of 'WW3'?
Out of curiosity what particular conflict gave you that idea? Is there any major industrialised nation that's even running a wartime economy at the moment?
Certainly there are tensions, espionage, even a number of wars, but I'm not sure that you can equate them to collectively being a world war because they're so diverse, unconnected, and frankly not intense enough.

OT: Yes it's possible, but probably only likely if MAD gets neutered. Which is potentially possible if the major powers get ABM systems working.
I can see nuclear terrorism as being more likely, perhaps even a limited nuclear exchange, but I can't honestly imagine any of the major powers pressing the big red button without some very serious changes to the current power balance. It just wouldn't be worth it. TBH I can see the competition between the US and China being mostly economic instead - assuming they even end up in competition.
 

Kolby Jack

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Apr 29, 2011
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ScorpionPrince said:
Kolby Jack said:
Nah. World War 2 left an unignorable, unforgettable, horrific impact on the world, and it was followed by the Cold War, in which multiple generations of people lived through constant threats of total annihilation. Then comes the information age, where billions of people all over the world are suddenly able to talk to one another at a capacity which grows exponentially each day. It's easy to see today that the younger generations are already fed up with the bullshit still left over from wars past and want to move forward, forgive and forget. The two biggest points of tension are the Middle East with Iran and the Pacific with China and it's neighbors. Iran's oppressive regime is living on borrowed time, their military sucks and they have almost NO allies. China is economically tangled with the US to the point that neither really wants to do anything to each other, and their biggest ally, North Korea, is so backwards and insane that even China hates them at this point.

I'm not naive enough to say that we're on the fast track to world peace or that we're moving past violent conflict, because clearly we aren't. But huge, grandiose wars fueled by bigotry and propoganda with death tolls in the multiple millions aren't going to happen. Anyone who thinks so is just so cynical that they've become blind to the positive trends made by people in the modern world. And that's just sad.
Wow, I couldn't agree more with what you said, that was very well worded. I'm curious though, do you think a civilisation can have advanced enough technology to prevent violent conflicts?
Maybe if we invent a machine so smart and benevolent that nobody minds it ruling over the human race. Man, if that EVER happens, I can just imagine the future people of Earth laughing so hard at how stupid an idea democracy is. "They let humans, ALL humans, vote on world changing issues? HOW DID THEY SURVIVE?!"
 

SillyBear

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The days of seeing conventional warfare between two large nation's militaries are long, long gone.

There is no point anymore. Earth is too globalised. What hurts China would also hurt the USA. What hurts Russia would hurt Germany. And so on and so on. Our economies are linked with one anothers. What the hell would you gain by launching an attack on another nation?

Now I'm not saying these things are gone forever. Something might happen that would make conventional warfare worthwhile again. Maybe a huge disaster that renders globalisation meaningless and a nation has to do what it can to secure resources. Something like that. But I doubt it.

However we can't forget the fact that if some major attack ever occurred the nukes would be launched. I don't know if you guys have done research on just how fucking close we have already come to nuclear war - but it is horrifying. We've come so close that literally one Russian with a conscious prevented it. Anyhow, the nukes are a deterrent.

I think World War 2 will be the last conventional war in a long time. It was the last time in history where major players actually had something to gain by attacking/invading other major players. Imperialism is dead now. Land grabs are meaningless now. Could you imagine how much Germany would screw itself if it invaded France these days? It's quite mind blowing how different the world was only a few decades ago. Everything was far more separate.

Tanis said:
I thought we WERE in a sort of 'WW3'?
...What? How? The last ten years have been one of if not the most peaceful in recorded history. Quite a strange world war you've got there.
 

Da Orky Man

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Apr 24, 2011
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Dirge Eterna said:
The core of professional soldiers will be used up quickly since the US has such a small military compared to many other countries. The new troops will be forced to use the lower level weapons so that we can train them fast enough to push them out to the battlefield.
Sorry, but what? Looking at Wikipedia, the US is roughly in the middle of the list of countries by military personnel per 1000 people, at about 7.3 total and 4.5 active. Sure, when it comes to numbers, the US is hardly at the top, but neither is it at the bottom.
And when it comes down to what really matter, military expenditure per capita, the US is second only to the UAE.
 

MrBaskerville

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SillyBear said:
However we can't forget the fact that if some major attack ever occurred the nukes would be launched. I don't know if you guys have done research on just how fucking close we have already come to nuclear war - but it is horrifying. We've come so close that literally one Russian with a conscious prevented it. Anyhow, the nukes are a deterrent. .
There was also a time where the russians misinterpeted a missile launch, the only reason they didn't retailiate was that their current president Boris Yeltsin was sober, for once, and thus realized that it was a mistake. There as a lot of these very scary stories in the documentary Countdown to zero, even some as recent as the 90s :/.
 

clippen05

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No, because conventional warfare has already become outdated today; imagine, if there's a resource war in 40 years what new stuff will be developed to kill people. Boots on the ground is a phrase we will seldom hear in the future with drones, cruise missiles, and nuclear missiles. There'd be no point, when the job could be accomplished much easier by lobbing a missile. So with no place for conventional warfare, there is no place for a world war. Maybe proxy wars and wars over the internet, but no country would want to risk nuclear missiles being launched so no aggression based in reality will ever happen.