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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Should we be worried about war

952 replies

Seasidesand76 · 19/11/2024 11:45

Seen a lot in the news about Ukraine using USA missiles against Russia. I've been thinking more along the lines that it won't start a WW3 and will resolve at some point without the UK getting directly involved in war. But there seems to be more and more tension and threats of an all out war recently.

Should we be worried about WW3? I haven't been prepping or anything but does make me wonder if I should start getting a few days worth of food in case. At the same time I don't want to go down the prepper hole and start getting over the top.

OP posts:
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mynameisbiggles · 20/11/2024 18:20

We were closer to WW3 in the 1980's than now. Since the end of the Cold War (and the old USSR) the Soviets have not really maintained their weapons armories. They may indeed have very many Nuclear Warheads, but as the Ukraine conflict has indicated, they aren't very good at maintaining their arsenal, so, would they actually work? Then of course, the nuclear warheads have to be delivered. Russia lost a huge proportion of its rocket fuel in the first weeks of the invasion of the Ukraine - and they need Swedish steel to build new rockets which of course they can't get. Then there's technology. What Britain is very good at is Technology - in fact we are World Leaders and the capabilities of one British Submarine or Surface Destroyer would blow you away - of course you won't ever know this as its all wrapped up in the OSA. The advance and expansion of Russia is concerning - but for the foreseeable future you and your families are pretty safe. Indeed, you're probably more at Risk from our own inept Government!

PrettyPickle · 20/11/2024 18:26

MajorCarolDanvers · 19/11/2024 15:03

If WW3 happens prepping is pointless

If WW3 is nuclear, yes you are right! But that would be pressing the self destruct button for everyone and I personally think there are lots of other equally effective methods of warfare that could be life changing and that makes prepping very much worth while.

Remember the old castle sieges when the enemy surrounded the castle and starved them out??? Previous posters have already eluded to this but there are so many ways life could be made dire without bombs. Internet cables go under the sea, cut them off and no one has access to the internet, banking etc. How long could you manage without access to money? Its not like you can go into a bank branch as there aren't any.

Cutting off trade roots, we all saw what was happening during the pandemic, and countries were cooperating. We are no longer a nation that has veg gardens and cook from scratch so what will you be eating.....what about fuel supplies etc. Most medications are from abroad, cut them off and many are in deep doodoo.

Prepping is not stockpiling, its a balance of probabilities, just like when you know Christmas is coming and your normal monthly wage won't cover the extra expense, so you start putting something aside in advance....that's still prepping. Prepping isn't necessarily a doomsday scenario, I haven't got weapons and ammunition stored under my floorboards (although....😏).

I have a couple of weeks food and water stashed away, I have spare batteries, torches and a wind up radio. A simple wind up radio is good in power cuts. I lived in the countryside, we often got snowed in or had power cuts, so we had back up generators.

If an enemy managed to wipe out the power grid for a few weeks, how would you go on? I can't say I would be comfortable but I could get through the initial crisis and potentially support others too.

leicester66 · 20/11/2024 18:27

If anyone thinks they can survive a nuclear war 😂go for it! I wonder what the IQ of contributors here is🤔

wasdarknowblond · 20/11/2024 18:27

Couldn’t agree more, The Whalrus.

Annabella92 · 20/11/2024 18:32

Lyannaa · 20/11/2024 17:41

Would you have that attitude if another country attacked us? Would you not expect help to save your children? Or do you think we're special and Ukrainians are lesser beings? 🤨

Would you send your husband and children to the front line?

Vynalbob · 20/11/2024 18:39

I hope not but think the odds are shortening.
All out nuclear war I still think is unlikely but near that I think is possible. Nordic countries have given out advice in case of war recently... although they are closer geographically to Russia and tend to be more prepared anyway so not too surprising.

I think a little bit of forward thinking in 2025 might be good, like a pp has said.....but I'd try not to give it too much headspace....there are few measures one person can do without driving themselves bonkers (or with👀😳)

Annabella92 · 20/11/2024 18:44

Everyone got their iodine tablets?

PrettyPickle · 20/11/2024 18:46

Artistbythewater · 20/11/2024 18:14

That would be the case over the winter anyway. Supply lines of drugs will be fine and always ebb and flow. Many are made here which is helpful. This was a system checked and tested across the pandemic, along with food and other essential services. Thanks to the pandemic we are in a much stronger position because of it.

No, No, No - during the pandemic, countries cooperated with each other, that will not happen if its war. Totally different cause and effect.

Lyannaa · 20/11/2024 18:53

Would you send your husband and children to the front line?

Putin is the one sending people to the front line.

What point are you trying to make? Nobody has a choice about war if we were invaded. There was a thread on here, fairly recently about what would happen if we were invaded and conscripted. And about how women could be conscripted as well as men.

If we were invaded, I'd want our allies to support and help us just like we're helping others now.

Just when did the UK become such spineless navel-gazers?

TexaSun · 20/11/2024 18:59

We are in strange and scary times. That's UK missiles landing in Russia now as well. North Korean soldiers are, or soon to be, fighting in Ukraine. There's a twisted cabal of Russia, North Korea, Iran and China...with pretty poor thoughts of Europe and the west.

Trump in power is anyone's guess... he's too easily led and no match for a psychological master like Putin. He'll likely want to deeacalate, but those missiles have already hit their targets.

In the short term Russia will try to damage our normal way of life and/or economy. The longer term is anyone's guess.

I don't think storing a couple days of food is a bad idea...but if it gets to the point we are attacking each other in Tesco's I think we've got bigger problems, and most of us won't be equipped to deal with them.

Llttledrummergirl · 20/11/2024 19:11

Annabella92 · 20/11/2024 18:32

Would you send your husband and children to the front line?

I'm the daughter, wife and mother of military veterans, so yes, I've done it, and would do it again.

I'm not worried, Ukraine is getting support they should have already been receiving and Putin has started whining and making empty threats just like a toddler again.

It's pathetic really. This war could end today, Russia just needs to respect the borders of its neighbours and get the fuck out of Ukraine.

Meltdown247 · 20/11/2024 19:17

Seasidesand76 · 19/11/2024 11:45

Seen a lot in the news about Ukraine using USA missiles against Russia. I've been thinking more along the lines that it won't start a WW3 and will resolve at some point without the UK getting directly involved in war. But there seems to be more and more tension and threats of an all out war recently.

Should we be worried about WW3? I haven't been prepping or anything but does make me wonder if I should start getting a few days worth of food in case. At the same time I don't want to go down the prepper hole and start getting over the top.

Starmer and his crew seem like utter war mongers. Biden’s last hurrah is very peculiar, he’s been proven to be suffering from some sort of dementia, so one assumes his cronies in the military supply business are keen to sell some more gear and keep the war going. Meanwhile, Russia has been making gains in Ukraine and reports say 50% of Ukrainian people are keen to find a peaceful end by negotiation.
this seems like the perfect backdrop for Starmer and co to go to war with farmers, close steel plants, stop drilling for fossil fuels so we can’t even defend ourselves. I also don’t have much hope that the snowflake generation could fight to save us. I’m adding Russian to my Duolingo app.

SoiledMyselfDuringSomeTurbulence · 20/11/2024 19:20

Lyannaa · 20/11/2024 18:53

Would you send your husband and children to the front line?

Putin is the one sending people to the front line.

What point are you trying to make? Nobody has a choice about war if we were invaded. There was a thread on here, fairly recently about what would happen if we were invaded and conscripted. And about how women could be conscripted as well as men.

If we were invaded, I'd want our allies to support and help us just like we're helping others now.

Just when did the UK become such spineless navel-gazers?

That sort of shit isn't even doing spineless correctly, in any case. The people who are most scared of having to fight should be the first ones to support arming Ukraine to the teeth. That way they can do the fighting on our behalf.

Hididi11 · 20/11/2024 19:22

Yet a genocide in Palestine is accepted by the west

SoiledMyselfDuringSomeTurbulence · 20/11/2024 19:24

Reports say 50% of Ukrainian people are keen to find a peaceful end by negotiation.

Which reports?

JustMeAndTheFish · 20/11/2024 19:29

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 19/11/2024 12:12

I’d be a lot more worried if that permission hadn’t been given. Do you actually think that if russia is able to defeat Ukraine it would stop there?

Our best chance of avoiding a WW3 in which the UK is a direct combatant is to arm Ukraine to win as quickly as possible. We should have done it 1000 days ago.

Just this really. There’s no point whatsoever in giving Ukraine a few bits and bobs that will make no difference. We need to arm them to win. Just like we should have done when Putin annexed Crimea. I’m generally a fan, but looking at you for this one Obama.

Lyannaa · 20/11/2024 19:39

Llttledrummergirl · 20/11/2024 19:11

I'm the daughter, wife and mother of military veterans, so yes, I've done it, and would do it again.

I'm not worried, Ukraine is getting support they should have already been receiving and Putin has started whining and making empty threats just like a toddler again.

It's pathetic really. This war could end today, Russia just needs to respect the borders of its neighbours and get the fuck out of Ukraine.

Thank goodness for some common sense.

1dayatatime · 20/11/2024 19:44

@Lyannaa

"What point are you trying to make? Nobody has a choice about war if we were invaded. There was a thread on here, fairly recently about what would happen if we were invaded and conscripted. And about how women could be conscripted as well as men"

Actually there is a choice if we were invaded and that is to surrender immediately. Look it a very unlikely scenario that after taking the Donbas Russian troops will have Basingstoke in their sights.

But less say for a hypothetical example the UK come under the control of Russia then those that would have been willing to fight are going to be the least affected by a regime change whereas those of the liberal left that would be unwilling to fight and most willing to criticise the UK and its military would be the most affected,

LoveLifeBeHappy · 20/11/2024 20:00

herecomesautumn · 20/11/2024 17:55

Do you have a source for that

And have you heard of the a Budapest Memorandum?

Jeez

There's this amazing tool called the Internet. Try it sometime, you'll be mind-blown. Jeez.

SoiledMyselfDuringSomeTurbulence · 20/11/2024 20:07

LoveLifeBeHappy · 20/11/2024 20:00

There's this amazing tool called the Internet. Try it sometime, you'll be mind-blown. Jeez.

Having used the Internet, the rankings I could see mostly show Ukraine around the middle of the pack.

LoveLifeBeHappy · 20/11/2024 20:11

Artistbythewater · 20/11/2024 18:06

How is the weather there? Minus figures I expect.

We absolutely have the budget to defend our interests and moreover it won’t be just us, it will be all of NATO and allies. Russia will be totally destroyed literally within minutes - they have used all of their rusting hardware, they have used up their Iranian drones and now they are killing Koreans en masse.

No, this does not worry me at all.

Edited

-6 today, but thanks for asking.

LoveLifeBeHappy · 20/11/2024 20:15

SoiledMyselfDuringSomeTurbulence · 20/11/2024 20:07

Having used the Internet, the rankings I could see mostly show Ukraine around the middle of the pack.

Examples of Corruption in Ukraine:

Defense Ministry Scandals: In recent years, allegations have surfaced about overpricing military supplies and embezzlement of funds. For instance, the Ministry of Defence faced accusations of overpaying for food supplies, and in 2023, a senior defense official was implicated in a scheme to embezzle $40 million allocated for military equipment.
Washington Examiner

Judicial Corruption: The justice system has been a focal point for criticism. High-profile cases, such as the arrest of Ukraine’s chief justice on bribery charges, highlight ongoing issues with judicial integrity.
Stars and Stripes

Judicial Corruption: The justice system has been a focal point for criticism. High-profile cases, such as the arrest of Ukraine’s chief justice on bribery charges, highlight ongoing issues with judicial integrity.
Stars and Stripes

Recruitment and Draft Evasion: Corruption in the recruitment process for military service was exposed, with officials reportedly selling exemptions, leading to an uneven burden of military service across socioeconomic classes.
Washington Examiner

SoiledMyselfDuringSomeTurbulence · 20/11/2024 20:19

LoveLifeBeHappy · 20/11/2024 20:15

Examples of Corruption in Ukraine:

Defense Ministry Scandals: In recent years, allegations have surfaced about overpricing military supplies and embezzlement of funds. For instance, the Ministry of Defence faced accusations of overpaying for food supplies, and in 2023, a senior defense official was implicated in a scheme to embezzle $40 million allocated for military equipment.
Washington Examiner

Judicial Corruption: The justice system has been a focal point for criticism. High-profile cases, such as the arrest of Ukraine’s chief justice on bribery charges, highlight ongoing issues with judicial integrity.
Stars and Stripes

Judicial Corruption: The justice system has been a focal point for criticism. High-profile cases, such as the arrest of Ukraine’s chief justice on bribery charges, highlight ongoing issues with judicial integrity.
Stars and Stripes

Recruitment and Draft Evasion: Corruption in the recruitment process for military service was exposed, with officials reportedly selling exemptions, leading to an uneven burden of military service across socioeconomic classes.
Washington Examiner

None of this mentions the level of corruption in Ukraine as against other societies.

Given that there's corruption in all countries, mentions of instances of corruption doesn't prove anything about how the state in question compares to others. You're going to have to do better than that.

But then if you actually believed relative levels of corruption were relevant to this discussion, you'd support arming Ukraine against the clearly more corrupt Russia.

Abi86 · 20/11/2024 20:20

The world order is under pressure. Autumn is here. Hopefully, winter will be kept in abeyance.

LoveLifeBeHappy · 20/11/2024 20:23

Lyannaa · 20/11/2024 18:53

Would you send your husband and children to the front line?

Putin is the one sending people to the front line.

What point are you trying to make? Nobody has a choice about war if we were invaded. There was a thread on here, fairly recently about what would happen if we were invaded and conscripted. And about how women could be conscripted as well as men.

If we were invaded, I'd want our allies to support and help us just like we're helping others now.

Just when did the UK become such spineless navel-gazers?

Just when did the UK become such spineless navel-gazers?

People often don't focus on global issues like Ukraine and Palestine because their day-to-day lives take priority. While everyone is aware of these conflicts, the immediate concerns—such as getting coffee or going about regular routines—tend to overshadow them. It's just the reality of how people engage with the world around them.