To worry because of what friend said about the world.

[whitesandstorm]

I really wish she hadn't said anything because I'm a born worrier but my friend who I saw today before she leaves for her holidays made an off the cuff remark about how she hopes ww3 doesnt break out while she's away.
She was quite jokey about it but mentioned all the trouble spots in the world and said how it could all easily escalate. Aibu to now be worried that she's right. I've always worried about this but try to put it to the back of my mind.
But the world does seem a scary place now. Please try to give me some reassurance.

[Calloh]

Most people don't want WW3, and that been the case since WW2 - and it's worked so far! Big yay for the diplomats!

As everyone else has said there's always been plagues and zealots and plagues of zealots but each year the world is mainly getting safer and happier - that's partly because of the coverage.

I think this year has seemed a bit tumultuous in it's own right and then there has been constant echoes back to "this time a hundred years ago" which has led to a slight sense of doom.

But we'll all still be scraping the ice from our cars tomorrow and chuntering about things. Don't worry OP. Chuntering and laughing is what's gets us through. We are lucky to be in a safe country and at a safe time.

[Gruntfuttock]

Without wishing to sound too self-deprecating, I couldn't care less about my own safety, but I do worry about anything happening to my husband and daughter.

[MoreBeta]

There are low level conflicts all the time. No worse than it has ever been.

Obviously a major conflict between super powers is extremely unlikely and if it ever happened it would be extremely short.

Therefore nothing to worry about.

That said, Obama just sacked his Secretary of Defence and John Kerry (US Foreign Secretary) just agreed a six month extension of talks and lifting of sanctions with Iran. Saudi has increased oil production over last 4 months that increased available oil supply and forced prices down.

Some say, that opens the way for a boots on the ground attack in the Middle East. Nothing new there then either.

I think we will be fine.

[NoraRobertsismyguiltypleasure]

The thing to remember is that those in power enjoy being in power and there really wouldn't be an awful lot to have power over if nuclear weapons were deployed. There wouldn't be anyone making billions of dollars/pounds and living the life of riley, so although there are a lot of really crappy things happening, no-one is really going to risk starting any war where the end result is nuclear destruction.

[Trills]

If you get online before 11 you might be able to book a morning delivery slot fro Ocado - maybe they have some grips.

Or some gin.

[Dontlaugh]

I used to worry about this all the time. Truly. I was agog that humankind hadn't wiped ourselves out, and surely we were about to at ANY MOMENT.
Then I got older and realised the socio political stakes for most countries are way too high for them to attempt to become Masters of the Universe, all on their own, and if they did the human, economic and health cost would be so high and they would then be responsible for it, so it would take all the joy out of ruling the world. No fun being able to order a mojito at 4am if you are also in charge of 5 million people with radiation sickness. As it were.
Then I got even older and wiser and realised that being a manager is actually a load of bollix - why would these men (all men, I note) want even MORE HEADACHES? That's when I realised they were willie wanging.
Power is the illusion of control.

[whitesandstorm]

I'm feeling a bit better now, thanks everyone. I've been somewhat reassured.

[Gruntfuttock]

It's North Korea that I worry about most.

[Gruntfuttock]

....in terms of a 3rd world war I mean.

[Gruntfuttock]

THey have nuclear weapons, which is terrifying.

[GarethCanFOff]

I don't think you are worrying unnecessarily as I think there are signs that we could be leading to a major war. There have been other times though that a nuclear war could have broken out but didn't (To give one example, I saw a documentary about a Russian Submarine soldier who was given an order to strike with a nuclear missile on a US target, as the Russians thought they were about to be attacked. He refused to follow the order. It turns out the Russians were misinterpreting signals from a US Plane).

So it is possible we will go many years without a war in Europe (but there are wars constantly going on across the world), but I think major economic meltdowns, which might be almost as bad as war, are inevitable (and economic meltdowns often bring war/conflicts). Our monetary system is frightening, it sounds like a giant Pyramid Scheme only maybe a bit worse. Money as Debt is a scary documentary

Countries are much more intertwined economically than they used to be, a crisis in one country can affect another miles away very quickly. There are political, military and economic alliances that could drag countries into a major war quite quickly. This is what happened with WW1, which most people didn't realise at the time would be a major, world-map changing, war until it was over.

The speed with which countries ran to war then was also partially because no country wanted to be beaten by the other, so they basically tried to get in quickly and beat the other country before they got beaten (There is a saying "The First World War was started by train timetables" and there is some truth to this).

Nuclear weapons could give more urgency to these choices, and ironically a nuclear war, or major war, could break out in a bid to avoid getting obliterated oneself. I would love to think the world leaders are not crazy enough to start a nuclear war, but as they almost started them before, and there are some crazy leaders out there, I don't think we can depend on them to be cool-headed. There are people in the US (e.g. Christian Zionists, who are well connected politically) who look forward to the end of the world. Palin talked with enthusiasm about the coming "rapture" at the end of the world. There are plenty of crazy, or self-deluded, leaders elsewhere as well. Putin is a thug who is power hungry (and creating rival military and economic alliances to the US).

I think the US is the most dangerous power and the most likely to tip us into war, but really any of the big countries could do it. The US is an empire in decline. The wealthy leaders are grabbing on for power/resources where they can in order to maintain their position. This is an interesting perspective on the potential road to WW3

But there is no point in being crippled by worry either as it won't help anyone. You could join an anti-war group, or one that resists neo-liberalism would be good (so anything resisting privatisation, or resisting cutting back on the welfare state, or resisting policies that deregulate the financial sector). Even just getting more informed is good.

[APocketfulOfSpondulix]

I'm more frightened for my children's future where they'll all be scrambling for resources, thanks to the current capitalist model that sees us destroying our own environment (half the wildlife gone in the last 40 years, half the world's forests gone). But that's just me.

[GarethCanFOff]

Another cheery video

CrossTalk: Is World War III on?

[loveareadingthanks]

Oh great, so the OP just calmed down and on came doommongers saying 'nooooo we're all going to diiiieeeee'.

Worrying about it does nothing. Some people cannot know about these things without worrying, so best to keep away from that sort of info.

If someone suffers from anxiety (OP?) it's a real thing, and not something they can control. It's rather cruel to trigger it off again.

[whitesandstorm]

Well all these last two posts have done have started me off again. Of course I know there is no point in worrying but that's easier said than done.

[NakedFamilyFightClub]

White - have you considered talking to your gp? This level of anxiety isn't normal and they could refer to to a cbt course or something similar to help you with it.

For the minute, turn off the Internet and the news and get out for a walk to clear your head if you think it will help.

[GarethCanFOff]

In my defence, my first post was x-posted with a lot of the ones before mine (including the OP's one saying she was reassured) as it took me ages to write it. The OP didn't say they suffered from an anxiety disorder. I also worry about this sort of thing but I certainly don't have an anxiety disorder. My reply was as much to everyone else as to her as well.

Worrying is not necessarily a useless thing, if it causes someone to get more informed act in a useful way. It is only a problem if the worry festers but nothing is done about it.

I am not sure that a total avoidance of news is a good thing as it might make the sense of unease grow if a person feels something is going on that they don't understand. Surely some anxiety at least is caused by people trying to avoid facing something that is in the back of their mind?

Having said this, watching the same news over and over again (which some people do) is probably not helpful, and could cause someone to get stressed without a useful response. A lot of mass media news is based on sound-bites that come off as one disaster after another, with no real in-depth explanation as to why things are happening or possible solutions. 24 news channels especially hype things up in order to keep the viewer hooked. I personally restrict news on the TV a bit but watch more in-depth documentaries or news programmes when I can.

[TimeForAnotherNameChange]

I agree with NakedFamilyFightClub, intrusive thoughts that affect your mental wellbeing and daily life are not normal, and you should see your gp.

[Bambambini]

I do wonder if we need a big old bust up now and again to clear the cobwebs and kill off some of the population. It's been a while now and I do wonder if things are building up to the next big barney. I'm not overly worried and a bit unfazed but I do think it feels like things round the world are shifting. What will be will be.

[Marylou62]

When I was 15 (long time ago) my Dad found me crying...It was during the Cuba missile crisis and all that nuclear bomb stuff...where we lived was actually mentioned in a horrific public safety film on TV...I was scared silly...I didn't want to go to school because if the 3 minute warning went off I wouldn't have time to get back to my family...a horrid time...My Dad gave me a big cuddle and told me that it wouldn't happen anyway, but if it did, I was just to sit tight and we would all meet in a better place...Heaven...it didn't happen, though it got close apparently...I now refuse to worry...there is nothing that you can do...Just REFUSE to think about it...why waste valuable time worrying about things you have no control over...live your life and fill it with Joy...I will never forget my feelings of despair and doom...but have lived the last 37 years as if it could all end tomorrow...OP please don't worry...

[BadtzMaru]

I have sympathy OP, anxiety is awful. I deal with things like ebola, Russia/Ukraine etc by metaphorically sticking my fingers in my ears going lalala and not watching the news or buying a newspaper. It might sound immature or selfish but I think I would have a nervous breakdown if I let it all in and my priority is staying well enough to take care of my family.

[MoreBeta]

The thing is with the Cuban missile crisis - even that wasn't really that bad.

Admittedly there were B52s in the air carrying nuclear missiles and they opened the roofs of the silos in Nebraska so the Soviet spy satellites could see the fuel being loaded into the ICBMs but that was all just posturing.

We are nowhere near anything like that at the moment. Anyway I am off to Dominican Republic at Xmas so it definitely wont be happening until I get back.

.

[whitesandstorm]

On the whole I'm not an anxious person, Im not a nervy type of person about life in general. It's really just this one.

[whitesandstorm]

What Badtzmaru said more or less sums me up, I try not to listen to too much news in order to be able to function properly, so I tend to shove things to the back of my mind. Very immature I know, what I don't know about can't harm me kind of thing.

[Dontlaugh]

Oh dear, Whitesandstorm, this thread has taken a twist!
Ok. Let's evaluate. There are real threats out there to our existence - Middle Eastern politics, Iran nuclear plans, unstoppable viruses, etc. I could go on. HOWEVER.
Iran/US has just agreed a 7 month extension to their talks. Hurray. Guess what, we don't REALLY want to kill each other. It's still not over, granted, but it's a help.
Ebola - the minute (sadly, in a lot of ways) a middle class educated white American was infected, guess what? An experimental vaccine was trialled, and there are suddenly billions of dollars available to fight this, when the day before there was nothing, as it ONLY affected West Africa. Call me a cynic, and you'd be right, but that is how the developed world operates. Cruelly, in a word, BUT it does mean the likelihood of most of Camden succumbing to Ebola is low.
Take a step back (I am allowed say this, as I was you, some years ago).
Evaluate your life. Look at the positives here and now, in front of you. Evaluate your risk realistically - you are more likely to be hit by a bus or die in a car crash than perish in an Armageddon.
Yes, meteors, nuclear weapons, incurable viruses, and politics exist. But so does society! And we're still here, despite everything.