Are we heading for a big European war of WWIII?

[SaltyLemons]

I need to stay away from Twitter but lots of analysts suggesting this today and I'm feeling pretty sick

The one thing that concerns me is that Russia seems to be run by a few dinosaurs from an era when big weapons = victory. Not cyber attacks or even poison attacks but big powerful ‘exciting’ weapons.
They are all getting to an age where they know realistically they won’t live forever and want to make their mark on the world.

I sense a pull away from the theory of mutually assured destruction as well. Engineering weapons that supposedly are far more advanced than potential enemies and setting them up as in a position to execute an attack before a proportionate response would be possible and therefore being able to win.

Oh certainly I agree if I were to take their usual opinions seriously I'd need my head examined, but what they were reporting on was factual enough, not an opinion piece. An actual discussion took place on Russian TV with a diagram showing a red nuked UK and simulation.

The thing is that all wars have warnings but not many act on these early enough to save themselves. There's a "it probably won't get that serious" mentality that does a good job of saving us from paranoia and conspiracy theories normally, but when faced with an existential threat it slows responses. In the face of thermonuclear warfare there is no saving yourself. When you look at the planning application (refused) for the Russian Embassy in Dublin the fact that the complex had its own subterranean complex, water pump and fuel store makes the simulation on Russian TV extremely chilling. www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2022/0310/1285699-russian-embassy-orwell-road-irish-government/

Perhaps we should be monitoring the Russian Ambassador and embassy staff in Dublin's holiday plans around the end of August? If they jet off on holiday it might be too late to take this seriously.

I don’t think asking a question about a very relevant topic is scaremongering, people don’t have to click on the post to read it. The truth is nobody knows but it is definitely escalating. Putin doesn’t come across as the sort of person to back down but I don’t think even here’s mad enough to start a nuclear war as it would affect the whole world and I don’t think China would be too happy about it !

Just to add I have got some friends who work for the MOD and they don’t seem concerned so let’s hope they’re right 😊

I don't think it will happen but I have every sympathy for people who are very worried. I spent most of my teens and early twenties worrying about the same thing during the Cold War. I even based some fairly major
life decisions on it. My mum sat with a baby and toddler on her lap and was terrified for our future during the Cuban missile crisis.

Maybe try to stay away from Twitter etc and find a way of destressing a bit.

This is the discussion

I also agree that we shouldn't shut down serious topics by calling them scaremongering. I remember the early days of the Covid board! Exactly the same then. People being told not to be "ridiculous". If people don't want to discuss a particular topic don't click on the thread. Easy.

I think, and it's totally just my own opinion, it will be all or nothing. Either we won't really be affected or we'll be hit with nuclear weapons. As I live in London, it would be over in a flash if that happened. So I just try not to think about it. I have zero control over what will happen so I just live my life in the mean time. I think I'd probably be more worried if I lived somewhere in England where there might be a chance of survival as I am not up to that!

It is scary and I think a lot of people prefer to not think about it at all because of that. That's fine. We all have to live life as best we can.