i know this isnt a ST question but i wanna know what trek fans think about today's economic, policital and hostile climate. In the ST universe, they had WWIII round about 30 years from now. could the same happen in real life and could humanity evolve into something better like in the shows?
World War 3 happened in ST, could it happen in real life?
- Thread starter SupAJ1M
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the way the Russkies are carrying on, we could wind up with a new world war in the next ten years or so...
There are a dozen hot spots out there which could flare up and create a world war. 
Of course, its been that way for 50 years and we have got lucky so far....
Of course, its been that way for 50 years and we have got lucky so far....
Some have argued that it already happened in the form of the Cold War or today's struggle against Islamofacists.
With oil running out, we could very well be heading for a world war within 20 years. Here is a very simple example of something that could happen even within the next 2-5 years.
Pakistan collapses and becomes a failed state like Somalia is now. The country is already in trouble, terrorist bombings and political assassinations are all too common at the moment. Should the government collapse then the military would have a very hard time trying to take control over such a vast country. Islamic terrorists would just need to take control over a few military bases and suddenly they have a nuke they can fire into India.
India invades Pakistan in an attempt to take control of the nuclear arsenal in that country. Western nations might decide to help them, although many would opt out rather than face the possibility of a nuclear strike on their country.
China gets nervous, they would see this as an aggressive move by India right on their border. They decide to use this as an excuse to extend their sphere of influence over Asia. Fear in Taiwan and Japan grows. China begins to focus on central Asia due to its material resources such as oil in Kazakhstan. Russia feels threatened, it invades several former USSR nations in order to "protect" them. The EU (many of whose member states were formerly under Russian occupation) feels massively threatened by this move and forms a strong military alliance in case of an invasion.
Meanwhile, Iran builds THE BOMB. Israel launches a strike on Iran to destroy their nuclear facilities. In response, several Arab nations band together and war between this alliance and Israel is inevitable. Again.
Four or five major hot-spots, numerous nuclear powers, billions of lives in the balance. The worst part is that it is a domino effect; if just one of these events occurs it could trigger all the others. Are humans stupid enough to let all of this happen?
Of course we are.
Personally, I'm thinking of moving to South America. Does anybody know any reason why war might spread to that continent?
Pakistan collapses and becomes a failed state like Somalia is now. The country is already in trouble, terrorist bombings and political assassinations are all too common at the moment. Should the government collapse then the military would have a very hard time trying to take control over such a vast country. Islamic terrorists would just need to take control over a few military bases and suddenly they have a nuke they can fire into India.
India invades Pakistan in an attempt to take control of the nuclear arsenal in that country. Western nations might decide to help them, although many would opt out rather than face the possibility of a nuclear strike on their country.
China gets nervous, they would see this as an aggressive move by India right on their border. They decide to use this as an excuse to extend their sphere of influence over Asia. Fear in Taiwan and Japan grows. China begins to focus on central Asia due to its material resources such as oil in Kazakhstan. Russia feels threatened, it invades several former USSR nations in order to "protect" them. The EU (many of whose member states were formerly under Russian occupation) feels massively threatened by this move and forms a strong military alliance in case of an invasion.
Meanwhile, Iran builds THE BOMB. Israel launches a strike on Iran to destroy their nuclear facilities. In response, several Arab nations band together and war between this alliance and Israel is inevitable. Again.
Four or five major hot-spots, numerous nuclear powers, billions of lives in the balance. The worst part is that it is a domino effect; if just one of these events occurs it could trigger all the others. Are humans stupid enough to let all of this happen?
Of course we are.
Personally, I'm thinking of moving to South America. Does anybody know any reason why war might spread to that continent?
L
Lord Garth
Guest
^ My preference, if I were to swtich continents, would be Australia.
Here in the former Yugoslavia, the ethnic groups hate each other as much as ever. It wouldn't take much to start them playing another deadly game of 'Sneaches on the Beaches' with guns. If Russia and the USA butted in, it could spread.
It's already started, my friend.
Nah, too many spiders for me. Plus, they have drought issues and if everybody moved there nobody would have anything to drink.
Both world wars, true, but I guess you have to have large scale conventional military actions to "qualify" for the official designation.
In Star Trek, WWIII happened because of genetic enhancements run amok. I doubt the real world WWIII would be on the basis of anything so interesting. We seem to be stuck in troglodytic reasons for war.
Nah, already taken. We were Lex Luthor's choice in "Superman II".
Godben, SA has military dictatorships and drug lords. It seems any dictator or party that gets in becomes a client to an outside state. In the past the SA PTB have solicited the USA, and the USSR. Right now Hugo Chavez seems to be the latest satrap selling to the highest bidder.
Yes, I believe a WWIII is inevitable. The US is nearing the end of it's reign as the superpower. Who knows what the world will look like 10-20 years from now? I read recently that some Russian Professor thinks there's a 45-50% chance that the United States will actually break apart into 6 separate nations by the year 2010 (Alaska will be joining with Russia, of course). Wouldn't that be crazy?
Igor Panarin's prediction that the United States would break apart is absurd on its face, not the least bit for the sheer irrationality of thinking that Tennessee and Virginia would ever join the European Union. He's saying that because that's what happened to the Soviet Union, and he doesn't understand that the United States will most likely not break apart like the USSR did because, unlike the USSR, membership in the Union is based upon mutual consent and partnership, not conquest and oppression at the hands of one particular ethnic group.
Well my only other option is Africa, and I'm not allowed back there again after what I did to Nelson Mandela.
chris32482 said:
I read about that report, and it doesn't seem very likely. The best prediction I saw recently was a US intelligence report that tried to predict the next 40 years. They said that the US will deteriorate in power, but will still be a superpower. China will become very powerful, rivalling the US. Russia will regain strength and influence with its former USSR nations. The EU will lumber about unable to turn its economic power into political or military strength. I found that report hard to dispute.
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