Is a Non-Nuclear World War Possible?

[SuburbanFarmer]

Well, to be fair, you asked the million dollar question, you ask the million dollar question, you get the million dollar answer, which is of course; "quantum mechanics".

Now, if you just want the thousand dollar answer to the thousand dollar question? Yeah, I think there will be a nuclear war at some point, it will kick off assymetrically, in a peripheral theater, like; India-Pakistan, to India-China, to China-Russia, the USA gets dragged in last, kicking and screaming, but inexorably none the less.

That being said, the sun comes up the next day, life goes on, civilization recovers from this war as it has from all previous wars, it just takes a little longer than usual, but ultimately, not an extinction event. I mean, it might be an extincition event for quite a few meat sacks around now, but the Big Green Biosphere Machine just rolls on without you, which, that's going to happen anyways, one way or the other, so again; it's all win-win in the end.

Can you elaborate on why, exactly, the US would be pulled into a nuclear launch between India-Pakistan? China might wave a fist, but why would they launch either? There's a pretty grand leap of logic here...

SIDE NOTE: I love your stuff. You should really write some Tom Clancy-type books.

[Okeefenokee]

Well, to be fair, you asked the million dollar question, you ask the million dollar question, you get the million dollar answer, which is of course; "quantum mechanics".

Now, if you just want the thousand dollar answer to the thousand dollar question? Yeah, I think there will be a nuclear war at some point, it will kick off assymetrically, in a peripheral theater, like; India-Pakistan, to India-China, to China-Russia, the USA gets dragged in last, kicking and screaming, but inexorably none the less.

That being said, the sun comes up the next day, life goes on, civilization recovers from this war as it has from all previous wars, it just takes a little longer than usual, but ultimately, not an extinction event. I mean, it might be an extincition event for quite a few meat sacks around now, but the Big Green Biosphere Machine just rolls on without you, which, that's going to happen anyways, one way or the other, so again; it's all win-win in the end.

Can you elaborate on why, exactly, the US would be pulled into a nuclear launch between India-Pakistan? China might wave a fist, but why would they launch either? There's a pretty grand leap of logic here...

SIDE NOTE: I love your stuff. You should really write some Tom Clancy-type books.

Why would Britain get pulled into a continental war in Europe, over and over?

[Okeefenokee]

...but therein in lies the danger, what do the Russians do, when they start to lose, and their whole conventional force structure starts to unravel in the face of an American advance? There's only two places they can go, one is humiliating capitulation, the other is escalation, and would they really choose humilating capitulation, Treaty of Versailles imposed upon them? Methinks not.

They have the hydrogen bombs, if they start to lose the conventional war, shit it gonna get real nuclear real fast. .

Why? There's nothing to gain, even in the event of conventional war loss. MAD is still very much in effect, so what's the point? Wiping out the planet as a big middle finger? Even Ivan's not that crazy, when all the chips are down.

What's the point of being a nuclear power if you're not gonna employ said nukes when you're facing total defeat?

[Smitty-48]

Can you elaborate on why, exactly, the US would be pulled into a nuclear launch between India-Pakistan? China might wave a fist, but why would they launch either? There's a pretty grand leap of logic here...

Short answer; Murphy's Law.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Can you elaborate on why, exactly, the US would be pulled into a nuclear launch between India-Pakistan? China might wave a fist, but why would they launch either? There's a pretty grand leap of logic here...

Short answer; Murphy's Law.

Well, by Murphy's Law we're already doomed anyway. Doesn't matter what happens.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Well, to be fair, you asked the million dollar question, you ask the million dollar question, you get the million dollar answer, which is of course; "quantum mechanics".

Now, if you just want the thousand dollar answer to the thousand dollar question? Yeah, I think there will be a nuclear war at some point, it will kick off assymetrically, in a peripheral theater, like; India-Pakistan, to India-China, to China-Russia, the USA gets dragged in last, kicking and screaming, but inexorably none the less.

That being said, the sun comes up the next day, life goes on, civilization recovers from this war as it has from all previous wars, it just takes a little longer than usual, but ultimately, not an extinction event. I mean, it might be an extincition event for quite a few meat sacks around now, but the Big Green Biosphere Machine just rolls on without you, which, that's going to happen anyways, one way or the other, so again; it's all win-win in the end.

Can you elaborate on why, exactly, the US would be pulled into a nuclear launch between India-Pakistan? China might wave a fist, but why would they launch either? There's a pretty grand leap of logic here...

SIDE NOTE: I love your stuff. You should really write some Tom Clancy-type books.

Why would Britain get pulled into a continental war in Europe, over and over?

There's a pretty massive difference between entering a conventional war, and launching nukes to destroy the planet (and yourself).

[SuburbanFarmer]

...but therein in lies the danger, what do the Russians do, when they start to lose, and their whole conventional force structure starts to unravel in the face of an American advance? There's only two places they can go, one is humiliating capitulation, the other is escalation, and would they really choose humilating capitulation, Treaty of Versailles imposed upon them? Methinks not.

They have the hydrogen bombs, if they start to lose the conventional war, shit it gonna get real nuclear real fast. .

Why? There's nothing to gain, even in the event of conventional war loss. MAD is still very much in effect, so what's the point? Wiping out the planet as a big middle finger? Even Ivan's not that crazy, when all the chips are down.

What's the point of being a nuclear power if you're not gonna employ said nukes when you're facing total defeat?

There is no point. That is the point.

[Okeefenokee]

Can you elaborate on why, exactly, the US would be pulled into a nuclear launch between India-Pakistan? China might wave a fist, but why would they launch either? There's a pretty grand leap of logic here...

SIDE NOTE: I love your stuff. You should really write some Tom Clancy-type books.

Why would Britain get pulled into a continental war in Europe, over and over?

There's a pretty massive difference between entering a conventional war, and launching nukes to destroy the planet (and yourself).

It doesn't start with the US launching nukes out of nowhere.

It starts with Eisenhower sending advisers to Vietnam in the fifties. Ten years later, we're fully committed.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Why would Britain get pulled into a continental war in Europe, over and over?

There's a pretty massive difference between entering a conventional war, and launching nukes to destroy the planet (and yourself).

It doesn't start with the US launching nukes out of nowhere.

It starts with Eisenhower sending advisers to Vietnam in the fifties. Ten years later, we're fully committed.

Of course. Yet, Vietnam was never in danger of going nuclear, with the balance of terror fully established by then. It would have been suicide, as it is now.

[Okeefenokee]

Why? There's nothing to gain, even in the event of conventional war loss. MAD is still very much in effect, so what's the point? Wiping out the planet as a big middle finger? Even Ivan's not that crazy, when all the chips are down.

What's the point of being a nuclear power if you're not gonna employ said nukes when you're facing total defeat?

There is no point. That is the point.

There's no point in dropping little boy and fat man?

There's no point in facing off against the Communist block for decades?

Better to live on you knees, than die on your feet, eh wot?