To think we're on the brink of WW3?

[TellMeStraight]

If the US and Russia become at war with each other, can we possibly stay out of it?

What if Donald Trump is president when it all kicks off?

Should I buy a gun? Or build a shelter? Or stock up on tins?

I am genuinely frightened.

[BombadierFritz]

the really good news is that in chernobyl, without humans, animal life is thriving in a post-nuclear landscape. as a species, it wouldnt be so bad if there were a lot less of us. bigger picture n all.

[Pluto30]

Bombadier the aftermath of a nuclear bomb and a nuclear reactor exploding is vastly different, though. They're two very different things.

[WillWorkForShoes]

We've got until November 9 anyway

Hurray! At least I can get the kids' birthdays out the way before we embark of Global Thermonuclear War.

[Pumpkinpie71]

What ever will happen, is going to happen regardless of you sitting worrying over it. There is NOTHING you can do it stop it if something was to happen.

People are adaptable, they coped in wars many times in the past and would again if they had too.

Very very few countries would go to war with the US or Russia.

So chilli out and get some gin down you

[cozietoesie]

[BombadierFritz]

ah dont ruin the one upside of a post apocalyptic world for me!

[TellMeStraight]

I was thinking today how if I could change one thing about history it would be to erase the Industrial Revolution. Perhaps that's where WW3 would lead us to. I'm too tired to explain that. But it makes sense to me.

[hopetobehappy]

OP I often worry that might happen, the world seems to have gone a bit crazy, then I have to get a huge grip of myself and calm the fuck right down, (me not you). Russia, America, China, even the crazy one in North Korea know that they CANT go to war.
If the world was how it was before nuclear weapons got invented then I think it could easily have happened many many times over.
They know that there's everything to lose. A world destroyed by nuclear weapons isnt something they'd want. How would they enjoy their billions.

[Piratepete1]

2 of my good friends are very high up in the civil service and study this sort of thing on a day to day basis. Trust me, you have more to worry about from the Koreans.

[Teddy1970]

If you lived through the 80s OP then surely you remember the public service announcments of "what to do to protect yourself during a nuclear attack" they were on tv hell of alot when I was growing up, even an episode of Only Fools and Horses Del and Rod built a nuclear shelter, I find it odd that you say you lived in that era and yet don't remember it at all, it was on the news every day!

[TellMeStraight]

Oh, and about Chernobyl, I read once that the few women who refused to move away are living longer than those who left and faced the heartbreak of leaving their homes.

[poochiepants]

I think that, given we haven't been invaded since 1066, we're probably safe....and the fact that even the BBC were filming a russian aircraft carrier sailing by Dover earlier, there's not much chance of a landing party sneaking up on us. Best chill out.

[TellMeStraight]

The public service announcements I remember were about crossing the road and doing your seatbelt up. And staying 'no' to glue - or was that just Grange Hill?

[legotits]

I've seen the film.

One of those fuckers like Watership Down.

Scars you.

Right, we are a small island that has little value to Russia.
Scotland has some oil, Russia is good for oil.
We do have expensive property in our capital cities.
Would Russia just fuck that up for no gain?

[TellMeStraight]

Well, thank you ladies. I feel much better now. I might even go to bed without a weapon rolling pin.

[TamyQlass]

This week's Economist has an excellent supplement on Putin and Russia, well worth reading. Main thing I came away with was that Putin is just continuing to act like Russian leaders of old, the tsars and Stalin. They don't seek world domination but 'respect' as a 'great power', and recognition of their sphere of influence; conflict with the US will be in issues elsewhere, Syria the most obvious at the moment. Not very cheerful but don't think catastrophic.

[Niggit]

I don't think we're heading for WW3, OP. I think the powers that be have too much to loose, and it's all (as somebody already said - lovely phrase!) willy waving.

I have been where you have, though, and I sympathise - it's not nice. The way I see it is, even if it was all to go tits up, there's nothing any of us could do about it, so don't let them spoil the rest of your life worrying about something you can't influence. Have fun, enjoy life, enjoy your DCs, and one day you'll be looking back on it from the perspective of years and probably writing a reassuring post to somebody on a forum like this

Have an unmumsnetty hug and do something fun tomorrow.

[Teddy1970]

No, you wouldn't have forgot the nuclear attack service announcments OP, it was a very real threat back in the early 80s...It scared the crap out of me, I was only about 10 at the time though.

[ElornaElephant]

I mean if we are heading towards WW3 and it goes nuclear, it's unlikely we will even know about it because we'll be nuked in seconds and all of humanity will then cease to exist.

Have a great weekend

[zoemaguire]

I don't know about WW3 now, but as for 'what the fuck was so dangerous about the 1980s' - in 1983 we came >< this close to all-out nuclear war!!! See for instance www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/05/the-ussr-and-us-came-closer-to-nuclear-war-than-we-thought/276290/

Also, though we didn't know at the time how close it was in that particular instance, it was bloody clear that they were dangerous times - you certainly can't have been following the news too closely if you were alive then and don't think there was anything to worry about!!! I remember having nightmares about nuclear war as a 7-8 year old. I even knew all about what to do if a nuclear bomb was launched and the three minute warning sounded (cover the table in rugs and hide underneath it, arf!!!! Useful advice, that, as to how to occupy the last few minutes of your life.). I'm very relieved that my own 8yo is more worried still about monsters under her bed. Trump won't win, and the world is definitely more stable today.

[legotits]

I think Theresa May did us a back handed favour when she made BoJo Foreign sec.

No other country can possibly take us seriously.

Although Boris did say Putin looks like Dobby the house Elf so maybe he's round to sort him out.

[aliasjoey]

Assuming Trump gets in, what kind of crazy things would he do?

Can the American government stop him doing really stupid things? Aren't there the equivalent Sir Humphrey Applebys who really control everything?

[zoemaguire]

Teddy1970 I'm guessing the OP must have come from either a very sheltered or a very apolitical family, or not actually have been old enough in the early 80s to realise what was going on - I don't really see how you could have been a child of the 70s/early 80s and not have known about the threat of nuclear war!!!

[cozietoesie]

There are many anxious anxious people around, alias. It's best not to even think of nuclear Armageddon and to keep smiling. You don't need to frighten the children with loose talk.

[legotits]

Aye Alias they will have someone sensible kicking about.
More house of Cards than Sir Humph.