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by xedrac 2 days ago
Do you feel threatened that Russia and Iran will succeed in conquering all of Europe and the Middle East? I see it more like a couple of misbehaving misfits. That's very different than say, WWII.
7 comments

But they don't have to succeed, invasion of Baltic countries could potentially be enough to start WW3, even if russia does not have capacity to win it.
How about WWI? This feels more like the start of that - blundering toward catastrophe.
This situation does not resemble the beginning of WW1. wW1 was caused more or less by an inept leader (the Herman Kaiser Wilhelm) with way too much power.

Putin cannot play the part Wilhelm played in 1914 because Russia has very little power.

Xi Ping cannot play the part Wilhelm played because he is too smart (he is one of the shrewdest and smartest leaders rn). If Xi Ping starts to lose it, then yeah, we may have WW1. Until then this is a very different situation.

And President Trump?
There are a lot of similarities between Trump and Wilhelm but even so the situation is not like pre WW1 really. Then you had a number of warlike alliances rearing for a fight. Now you have basically Russia attacking it's neighbour and NATO not wanting to fight much at all really. I mean they will if they have to but they are not going to bomb Russia because of the odd stray drone.
> I see it more like a couple of misbehaving misfits.

Those zany kids!

> Do you feel threatened that Russia and Iran will succeed in conquering all of Europe and the Middle East?

Iran has a strong stance to significantly increase influence in the Middle East if not restrained: they have many way (not just Hormuz) to project power on oil countries, and essentially force them to switch sides.

The main threat to Europe is if Trump ever makes good on his threats to take Canada and Greenland. If the US turns truly hostile, then Europe has a serious problem. Especially if Putin and Trump decide they want to split Europe between the two of them.

It's a very extreme case, but it would get extremely messy. Putin on his own is something Europe should easily be able to handle as long as they've got Ukraine on their side. Trump's erratic disruptive attacks will hopefully end at some point. I'm not worried about Iran at all, except internally.

Fortunatly Trump won’t be a major problem for long. I’m more worried about the techbro community who want to usher in a neo-feudal empire based around resource control.
> problem for long

Seen the news of the past hours about the 2028 intention?

Trump is 80 years old. He won't be long for this mortal coil, or at least his brain won't (arguably it already isn't).
When has lack of brain activity or even being dead ever stopped them? See also the weird situation with Mitch McConnell.
>"Putin on his own is something Europe should easily be able to handle as long as they've got Ukraine on their side."

500+ million people and corresponding economy needs Ukraine to protect themselves? this is just plain pathetic or what's worse proof that the EU would fight Russia to the last Ukrainian

Well, not even the Nazis managed to permanently conquer Europe, but the destruction they still wrought on the continent was enormous.

Even a victorious war is destructive. I'd like to do without, but I am just a random hobbit in this regard.

Where the misbehaving misfits are the aggressors, i.e Russia, the USA, and Israel?