Holiday vs prospect of war

[WisterWayne]

DH and I are lucky enough to have twin girls, they will be 7 in June. They have always been very into Disney, love Frozen and all the princesses.

About 2 years ago DH and I made a decision we'd love to take them to Disneyworld in Orlando - DH also loves Star Wars so seemed like a wonderful trip.

We have literally spent 2 long, hard years saving, going without little luxuries such as takeaways/weekends away so that we have enough money not only to book holiday of a lifetime but have spending money put by too - we didn't want to book the wonderful thing then worry about spending whilst we're there.

Both DH and I are on very average wages, only slightly above minimum and this holiday really means a lot to us, I can't wait for our girls to see everything they love on screen come to life.

Family know we have been saving and we finally have enough so are now ready to book but today DH's mum took me aside and said it would be silly to book now as we're on the verge of a world war and all our precious savings would be wasted.

I confess I don't watch a lot of news, my world is quite small and revolves around my family, my job and our friends - however I am of course aware of the terrible conflict in Ukraine and everything going on in Gaza. I've also heard things on the radio in passing about army chiefs suggesting conscription and moving into a pre war age. But in truth don't understand a lot of it and don't want to terrify myself going into all the reading.

DH's mum is usually very level headed, calm and rational and isn't a conspiracy theorist or anything similar but... is she right? Would we be foolish to book an American holiday right now?

If a war broke out how would something like that even look these days? My only reference is the 1940s when people didn't go on luxury long haul flights as far as I'm aware.

Can anyone who understands advise?

I thought this was going to be a holiday to Iran or Belarus something like that... not te US!!

Oh good lord no, just live your life.

Please read my post re mistake, mistake thinking missiles are nukes

Trust me, when B's like Pootin types are cornered, they will do anything to remain a leader and this is what he is doing right now, just like the chap in Israel

Most wars are started by leaders at risk of losing their leadership

*he’s not ‘batshit’, he has ocd and these thoughts have really taken hold. Is there anything that could support your mil having some kind of mental health issue that she needs support with? these aren’t really rational thoughts and they are clearly beginning to have an impact on daily life ; if she’s said this to you then what has she changed or put off herself?

so book the holiday but try to have a conversation with those who love her about why she feels this way*

I actually agree with this. If she's normally level headed then something has changed.

There isn't going to be any war, book your holiday, go and have a brilliant time!

Fucking hell.

If I was going to the US on a list of things to worry about there's this:

1. Internal US Gun Crime. Like normal every day stuff.
2. Domestic terrorism. Just more generally in an election year featuring Trump. I would avoid travel in November this year in case of protests tbh.
3. Islamic Terrorism. Though I'd argue this is MUCH more likely outside the US.
4. Issues relating to China/Taiwan
5. Wayyyyyyyyy down the list something to do with Putin.

Most wars are started by leaders at risk of losing their leadership

Napoleon wants a word. As does Genghis Khan and numerous other leaders who started wars for territorial gain, religion or the myriad other reasons why wars have started.

Reminds me of the time MIL thought we shouldn't go to Zimbabwe because there was an ebola outbreak in Congo.

We are considering flights to Dubbai and or India for hols this year. Playing on my mind is the fact certain airlines still fly over Russia and close to Belarus or whatever its called - up until recently you had the Hams and IDF lot laucning missiles at will

North Korea lauches test intercontinental missiles and other long range test and no warning to flights is given as far as I know but stand to be corrected

Yes, I have fear of flying and do worry a lot

If WW3 breaks out, the economy will crash and your savings will devalue anyway. So you might as well spend the money now.

Anyway, you’ll need something nice to reminisce about while trapped in a nuclear bunker.

In 1991 US tourists reputedly were shunning the UK because of a war 2,500 miles away in Iraq.

I know you said she’s not into conspiracy theories, but I’d be asking some probing questions about where she’s getting her information from.

Not booking a trip to Orlando for fear of an imminent global conflict is pretty batshit, as others have mentioned.

I might query a week in Tel Aviv or St Petersburg - but not Orlando.

Can you stop making malicious claims in order to incite others against me.
Thanks

If anything you'd be safer in Orlando than Britain anyway. Just look at a map, it's much further away from Russia than the UK is what with the world being flat and all...

If you watch certain tv news stations and read certain newspapers, they are ful of "WW3" possibilities. IMO, they are not doing anyone any favours

I'm no military expert but I am an expert in common sense knowledge. The next WW3 is going to be quick as it will be nukes

Do you really think a country armed with nukes will allow the others troops onto their soil

I'm no military expert but I am an expert in common sense knowledge. The next WW3 is going to be quick as it will be nukes

Then there’s absolutely no point worrying about it.

In the 80s we had the government producing booklets and public information films to be broadcast in the event of nuclear war so we would know how to build fallout shelters. Every county had practised plans for what to do when the bombs started falling, how local government would keep going, and shelters built for them to hide in. We had the films Threads, and Where the Wind Blows, broadcast on TV showing the effects of nuclear war.

Compared to back then what's happening now feels so much less serious.

No one can say there definitely isn't going to be a world war in the next few years. There might be, there might not. But you can't stop living your life just in case. I also don't see how saving up a few grand is going to make much difference in a world war anyway. If the war does happen, missing my Disneyland holiday would be the least of my worries.

If she's the one with her finger on the button then maybe I'd listen to her. Otherwise just book the holiday.

Thanks - i recall that and at school ie hide under table
However the nules are not only massively greater in numbers but go further and many more countries have the,
the combined power of the nukes compared to the 80's has increased a million fold

We are living in very dangerous times and the chance of a misunderstanding is vast

People do, I do and think about our kids and GC becuse these inbred types at the top are doing all of these wars for their own selfish reasons

If I had it in me, I'd force the leaders and those that support them to go to the middle of a desert and fight it out to the death. I bet you none of them would show up as they will be sat in their bunkers

the combined power of the nukes compared to the 80's has increased a million fold

In that case if it happens you probably won't know anything about it until it does and survival would be unlikely.

Definitely don't go. I used to go to Walton-on-Naze regularly for short breaks but no way can I risk it whilst there's a war going on 1,500 miles away in Ukraine. It could be me.

Nope. Cancel the holiday. Just think of all the MN staples like coverless duvets and Lakeland dryers you could buy with the money saved.

There are wars everywhere, all the time. There hasn't been a point in human history where a group of people somewhere aren't fighting. There are 110 wars happening across the world today. And this isn't an unusual day. If you waited for it all to stop you'd never go on holiday.

The other side of this is that there's never been a point in human history where every single country was at war at the same time. So a global war with everyone involved is vanishingly unlikely.

And if it was on the cards, all the more reason to book a holiday and enjoy what time you have left.