To worry this war might lead to WW3.

[Castlerock44]

I feel so sorry for everyone involved in this war in the Middle East. So many people think it can't affect us but it could so easily escalate with Russia and the US getting involved. I'm quite scared tbh. Anyone else?

I think Isreal will flatten Gaza to destroy Hamas which will lead the way for the West Bank to become an independent Palestine supported by Saudi negotiations. The problem with Gaza is they elected a terrorist to lead a country look where that got Libya, Syria and Iraq

Sorry but this appears cryptic, what 'cool aid'? It's always been serious when countries start fighting but before the proliferation of the smart phone we were limited on our access to this information and in turn did not think about it on the same way.

Exactly that’s why I would worry more about Iran than Israel. If anyone would let off a nuke first it won’t be Israel.

If anyone would let off a nuke first it won’t be Israel.

It depends how things could escalate.

The only country that has deployed nuclear weapons in war is the one that likes to think of itself as the world's policeman and not in the least what you'd consider to be a 'rogue state'.

No, this won’t lead to WW3. Israel is entirely dependent on the United States for its existence. The USA calls the shots - and they certainly don’t want this to escalate.

For me, the really big threat is climate change combined with overpopulation. That’s what keeps me awake at night. Either on its own is a problem, but combined it will mean chaos. The world’s population has exploded in the last 100 or so years. In 1900 there were just over a billion human beings. By 1960 that had trebled to three billion. It’s now eight billion and heading for ten. And even though the birth rate is dropping in Europe, in Africa it is still booming. In parts of Africa women have seven children, on average, and the African population is going to double by 2050. As climate change gets worse, those huge populations are going to start moving. And when they do god knows what will happen. It will be the end of the EU for sure.

Iran particularly with the new help of Russia will have a nuclear warhead before too long and delivery mechanisms to get them to their target. They were very 'successful' when they attacked the US following Trump's assassination of their General with their missiles, targeting and avoiding sophisticated air defence systems. I think Israel knows they can't stop it now without triggering a world war. So then it will be Iran vs Israel with a potential for nuclear conflict should events get out of hand.

Good point. Interesting that Trump speaking last night revealed that Israel was part of the planning for the Soleimani assassination but pulled out the night before the operation.

Except that Hamas are said to be in Qatar. So innocent citizens of Gaza will be wiped out to no effect.

Yup it was a massive loss of face as the US didn't expect Iran to retaliate directly on US forces and with such accuracy and the Patriot missile system failed to intercept them. Something I would have thought was impossible before that. I seem to remember that Yemeni proxies also set Saudi oil fields ablaze with $20k drones. These facts would be major disincentives to take Iran on directly without causing major economic carnage or maybe worse.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abqaiq%E2%80%93Khurais_attack

Well my dd is in the military so yes, but scary

Not WW3 (probably) but western governments seemingly unconditional support for whatever Israel does in retaliation and the massively one-sided reporting in most of the Western media means that a new generation will be more easily radicalised at a time when we already have increasingly isolated, alienated and segregated communities in the UK and other European countries.

It is so obvious that I find it hard to believe that it hasn't occurred to those in power or doing the reporting. It's baffling unless you start to think that maybe a frightened, divided population is actually what they want.

The security services will have their work cut out for them over the next few years, that's for sure.

You would hope so, but our foreign policy blob seem to be filled with people who are ideologically captured to see things as they were instead of how they are today.

I was listening to an ex cia agent who still has contacts within the intelligence apparatus who stated that analyst's who don't give the "correct" information that the higher ups want (true or not) are not promoted and isolated etc. That's extremely dangerous and part of the reason that there have been so many intelligence failures in recent history.

Drone warfare has completely changed the battlefield. Especially those cheap, small and portable drones.

Also interesting is the fact that the Saudi and Iranian leaders spoke for nearly an hour yesterday for the 1st time since China brokered a rapprochement earlier this year.

Hmmm yes because us black people are the greatest threat to you and International cooperation. Do you want to check your racism?

I think the biggest thing we have to worry about is what if Trump is re elected next year 🤦🏻‍♀️ that could lead to anything.

Trump is an awful prospect for president but he is not a warmonger the way Biden’s group are. Trump is very much just for America and doesn’t see value in involving troops and money in other countries if they are not there for America’s direct interest (to acquire territory or resources) - that includes not supporting ‘allies’.

Are you joking? The man barely knows what day it is half the time!

Yes. I’ve been worried about that since they did lockdown. All this anti trans stuff too, before young men could use it to avoid conscription.

I haven’t got to the end of the thread. However, Scotland vis a vis Russia is apparently not a safe option. Dd dreams of being a pilot. She and I were speaking to someone, who used to work in the RAF. Russia apparently regularly sends planes armed with nukes to the Scottish highlands, where British aircraft are scrambled and chase them away. 😱

I agree. I don't understand people who blithely say they never watch the news. It doesn't stop things happening, and I believe we do need to know at least the basics of what is going on in the world

I think, severe anxiety about this aside, we have a kind of duty to watch the news - esp parents as kids from a certain age will inevitably ask questions. I’m sure people will disagree and also think even slightly older children need to be in this blissful bubble of happiness you refer to but I think they shouldn’t be kept in the dark or have the basic facts swept under the carpet - providing it’s age appropriate, of course! I have both Jewish and Palestinian colleagues and my understanding of what is happening, albeit pretty basic admittedly due to its complexity, as well as my understanding of some of the history of the injustices both groups have been subjected to, has enabled me to have conversations with them and offer empathy, although I know I will never fully understand how they might feel.

Why on earth do people who don’t agree with these threads waste everyone’s (who are interested) time with their remarks?

If you don’t like these threads it’s very very simple, stay away and take your comments with you.

People have the freedom to discuss whether you like it or not and they will.

You might find the podcast below helpful for context and for thinking about possible (or impossible) routes forward.

Chatham House, "Independent Thinking": will the war between Israel and Hamas escalate?

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/independent-thinking/id1499634628?i=1000631184117

These threads both worry and reassure me. I remember one of the Ukraine threads last year weirdly cheered me up with its black humour and "YABVVU Putin" and "Imagine if Putin was your relative - FFS Dad can we just have a nice day out with the DGC without you threatening nuclear war!" type comments.

You should stop watching bias news & do some research. No wars when Trump was president. How many under senile Biden? Ukraine, Israel, you've also got China/Taiwan tensions are escalating there & of course North Korea too. World leaders do not respect Biden he's weak & doesn't know what day of the week it is! I hope Trump is re-elected next year! I want world peace again not endless wars!

You should stop watching bias news & do some research. No wars when Trump was president. How many under senile Biden?

Well there is obvious some baked in bias in the statement above ^^

Trump just got lucky that China are not ready. North Korea is the same as it has been.

What can be more dangerous to a great democracy than a president who does not respect democracy? What can be more dangerous to a country than a president that wants to lead it into civil war?

Trump's attack on America