WW3

Anything in particular that makes you wonder?

I didn't do it! I figure I'll eventually get blamed.

What is worrying me are the problems in the middle east, it's a pot just waiting to boil over.

It has been boiling over, or about to, for roughly the last 6,000 years.

I seriously doubt however, that "boiling over" at this time would precipitate WWIII.

Of more concern to me is China.

even China is worried about China, nevermind us. - Loupy.

At this time I seriously doubt that we're on the verge of WWIII.

Give it another 20 years or more when the great world powers and the exploding populations start banging heads together over the depleting oil reserves, diminishing fresh water and food stuffs, then start worrying....then you may wish to buy a deep deep cavern to hide from all of the nuclear fallout and the resulting Nuclear Winter.

Ummmm, can you spell "THERMONUCLEAR WAR"? WORLD GO BOOM-BOOM.......SSSSSSIIIIIIIIIZZZZZZLLLLLLLEEEEE........then you won't need to worry about Global Warming............

The area is a good history study in 'disputes' and in man's impact on limited resources.

Oil made a number of changes, but in a time frame that hasn't really allowed the traditional values to evolve to a more 'secure' view of life for the 'average Joe'.

"Leaders" were those who were 'strongest'. They controlled the knowledge of the outside world to their own ends. The arrival of the internet removed/diluted that control.

Equally, the arrival of the internet stands between 'inventing the justifications' of 'intervention'.

I.e. the ability to rally a vote for War (on the usual BS) is seriously compromised in an internet literate society.

I'd say the 'upheaval' is Leaders who have been 'controlling by BS' are being 'found out' and chucked out.

There may be a war - but it can't be WW3 if no one else turns up.

E.g. no one takes sides, because their 'internet population' refuses to sanction 'blowing the crap out of another user group' of 'average Joe's'.

However, it would appear from some of the above; not that 'cut and dried', as it appears there is still a sizable portion of the population that 'worship war', or are slaves to parochial outdated mantra provenly built on utter BS in the past.

So; I most sincerely hope the 'world' has the intelligence to Not turn up.

GA. See also: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=ie7&q=what+if+they+gave+a+war+and+nobody+came&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7ACEW_enUS408US408

Um GA + Link to potential bitch slap - interesting conundrum

Ok

What if they gave a war and nobody came?
Why then the war will come to you!
He who stays home when the fight begins
And lets another fight for his cause
Should take care:
He who does not take part
In the battle will share in the defeat.
Even avoiding battle will not avoid
Battle, since not to fight for your own cause really means
Fighting in behalf of your enemy's cause.

-- Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956)

Clearly the whole poem is opposite in intent, to the 'superficial scan' of the first line.

It's about 'failure to support' the 'good' against 'bad' aggressor.

However;

In the question of 'populace casting off a puppet or tyrant'; is "good" more analogous to 'British interference in the French revolution', or French support of the US War of Independence, or commercial supporters of the South in the US civil War.

Somehow such 'ill thought or selfish support' always makes it more costly for the same inevitable outcome.

And as the "Vietnam War" is 'strongly associated' with this poem ........

Vietnam finally became independent of Siam, Cambodia, Laos, France, Japan, France, USA, and finally China, but it took a thousand years and millions of lives

Most recently because 'outside support' couldn't just the Viet Minh win, day one.

Maybe I goofed. If that Brecht dolt had anything to do with this phrase, I wouldn't have mentioned it.

You would probably get a kick out of Paul Johnson's Intellectuals. I might not agree with everything, but he certainly hit a few nails on the head.

"might not agree with everything" is a bit of an understatement from my POV.

Here he saw the "grim misery and cruelty of the Franco regime _{(just hold that thought)}

one of Thatcher's closest advisers.

the Darwinian scientist and noted atheist Richard Dawkins^[13] has been a target of Johnson's pen in the past.

Johnson also regards liberation theology as a heresy and defends clerical celibacy, but alludes to many good reasons for ordination of women as priests.^[14]

Johnson has defended Richard Nixon^[16] in the Watergate scandal, finding his cover-up considerably less heinous than Bill Clinton's perjury, and Oliver North's involvement in the Iran-Contra Affair.

^{(but now)} has expressed qualified admiration for General Franco,

I think we are talking of "anywhere the wind blows" morality ...

Paul Johnson has been married to the psychotherapist and former Labour Party parliamentary candidate Marigold Hunt since 1958.

... or dinners must be quite a hoot.

(Snippets courtesy of Wiki)

You are quite right to mention these things. Johnson is indeed a mixed bag, and I think his religiosity is making that mixture worse. Even so, Intellectuals still stands up, mostly if not entirely. (He blows it with regard to Bertrand Russell, but then almost no one is perfect.)

I'd agree with that (the Bertrand Russell part) 'cept us

34Point5, I sincerely hope and pray that you are correct in your assertions that nobody shows up for the "Big One".

As a former professional soldier, I detest war and it's senseless slaughter and destruction, having been a participant in two conflicts.....I have seen things that will live forever in my mind until the day that I die......things that I do not wish others ever to experience in their lifetimes.

Possibly a musical interlude depicting the only survivors the coming conflict

bonus GA's for the 1st correct response

One of my favorite bands and songs.....

R.E.M. (from Athens GA) performing It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine), 2003.

Gotta love the kid's short-haired Border Collie....I have one of 'em myself, and 4 other standard BC's to boot...

Band is extremely popular with the troops at Ft. Benning & Ft. Stewart, GA!

My guess is Teenagers & Cockroaches