The Romulan Republic wrote:That I disagree with. Not just the assumption that it won't happen, but that their's no point being scared about it.
If people are scared of something, they'll hopefully take steps to address that fear. Weather its considering what to do to maximize their chances of survival in the event of a nuclear war or voting for politicians less likely to start one (if you think this sort of thing hasn't factored into my support for Bernie Sanders, you're mistaken).
There are a lot of bad things to be said about the political class. But I think we can give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to having the two barely connected brain cells required in order to realize that if they allow their population to be exterminated in an atomic war there will be nobody left to tax and exploit.
In any case, fear isn't entirely a choice. Its not something one can simply flick on and off. Its an instinctive response to a perceived threat.
I tend to get on fine in life doing just that. I just basically treat huge global events like a market crash, atomic war, world politics (when not directly involving my nation) etc. as things that are beyond my control. Because they are. I can't tell Putin or Obama what to do. I can't stop the turks from shooting down airplanes or idiot bankers across the ocean from crashing the economy. So if they want to steer the world into WW3 or what ever else it's for all intents and purposes the act of a "higher power". Might as well be an act of god. So if it happens it'll happen.
Once you get into that mindset life becomes much more cheerful. You stop being pressed on by the big things you can't control and only care about the little things that effect your life and that you actually can effect in return.
Huh. Not sure I would have pegged you as an optimist.
Most people don't. I am basically a strange misanthropic optimist with a view that all people are bastards all the time but somehow it all works out in the end.
I'm not only concerned about someone sitting down and deliberately deciding to start World War III.
I'm concerned about people making mistakes in a chaotic situation, or even gradually escalating things until it gets to the point where neither side feels they can back off and they have nowhere left to go but war.
Isn't that what basically happened in Cuba? And than one side backed off. Fact is nobody wants his legacy to be as the man who destroyed civilization.
If things always played out the way people wanted, we wouldn't be in this mess to begin with.
I am not sure. People is a broad term. I know that if things were to play out the way I want them to we would not be in this mess. But what I want, what I say I want and what you want are very different things...
The Romulan Republic wrote:Yeah. We are really, really lucky none of those nut jobs has managed to get their hands on a nuke yet.
Then their's Kim Jong Un. I wonder how much of their insanity the North Korean government believes and how much is just posturing.
One thing about atomic weapons is that they change the game up a lot for the one who has them. Fighting a conventional war is something you can win or lose. Fighting an atomic war is something you can only lose. Nobody wins those. And that in turn makes both sides far more cautious. Sure which ever Kim is in charge this week might throw a few shells southwards and all that. But ultimately he knows that there is absolutely no chance of ever attacking the south again. Because if he does, he will have to use atomic weapons and get nuked in return. He can't justify not using them if he starts loosing the war without loosing popular support. And he does not want to do that. So paradoxically the North getting atomic weapons has in my view improved peace to the region.
Broomstick wrote:I disagree.
Now, the US and Russia don't want to end the world, just as the US and USSR did not - and that is why, despite provocations, accidents, miscommunication and a lot of other horseshit the Cold War never became WWIII. It is correct that the vast majority of people and nations do not want to trigger a world war.
However, there ARE people who want the world as we know it to end. ISIS, for example, has an apocalyptic view and WANTS to bring on the final battle between Muslim and not-Muslim. Fortunately, none of the death-seeker groups have become even a regional power, much less a major or superpower, but don't make the mistake of thinking that everyone is going to be as survival and self-interest oriented as happened in the 20th Century.
I agree in principal. Which is why I support going down there and ending them.
It has become clear to me in the previous days that any attempts at reconciliation and explanation with the community here has failed. I have tried my best. I really have. I pored my heart out trying. But it was all for nothing.
You win. There, I have said it.
Now there is only one thing left to do. Let us see if I can sum up the strength needed to end things once and for all.
