How to start world war III?

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The Observer
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Re: How to start world war III?

Post by The Observer »

Burzmali wrote:The crux of the matter is government sponsorship. It's like if Chavez decided to pump some oil revenue into running servers that like you download any movie you want for $0.25. It isn't a matter of convincing the foriegn government to crack down on piracy, the government is the pirate.
I didn't say it wasn't government sponsorship - in fact, I implied that it was government sponsorhsip, if only tacit. The problem is that the only way to deal with the problem is to attack the government and dismantle it. And given that in this day and age the West cannot bring itself to attack a nation like Iran over its continued violations regarding nuclear power plants, then I don't think we are going to go to war with China over patent/licensing violations.

With an electronic currency, however, you can immediately shut down their economy and isolate them. A no-trade ban under this works effectively, and unless the violating nation had developed an efficient barter system to bypass it ("How about we trade you 2 million fake iPads for 20 million bushels of wheat?") they are going to have to comply.
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Re: How to start world war III?

Post by bmielke »

The Observer wrote:
Burzmali wrote:The crux of the matter is government sponsorship. It's like if Chavez decided to pump some oil revenue into running servers that like you download any movie you want for $0.25. It isn't a matter of convincing the foriegn government to crack down on piracy, the government is the pirate.
I didn't say it wasn't government sponsorship - in fact, I implied that it was government sponsorhsip, if only tacit. The problem is that the only way to deal with the problem is to attack the government and dismantle it. And given that in this day and age the West cannot bring itself to attack a nation like Iran over its continued violations regarding nuclear power plants, then I don't think we are going to go to war with China over patent/licensing violations.

With an electronic currency, however, you can immediately shut down their economy and isolate them. A no-trade ban under this works effectively, and unless the violating nation had developed an efficient barter system to bypass it ("How about we trade you 2 million fake iPads for 20 million bushels of wheat?") they are going to have to comply.
Only problem I see with that is the bleeding Hearts at the UN will never let there people starve.
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Re: How to start world war III?

Post by Burzmali »

The Observer wrote:
Burzmali wrote:The crux of the matter is government sponsorship. It's like if Chavez decided to pump some oil revenue into running servers that like you download any movie you want for $0.25. It isn't a matter of convincing the foriegn government to crack down on piracy, the government is the pirate.
I didn't say it wasn't government sponsorship - in fact, I implied that it was government sponsorhsip, if only tacit. The problem is that the only way to deal with the problem is to attack the government and dismantle it. And given that in this day and age the West cannot bring itself to attack a nation like Iran over its continued violations regarding nuclear power plants, then I don't think we are going to go to war with China over patent/licensing violations.

With an electronic currency, however, you can immediately shut down their economy and isolate them. A no-trade ban under this works effectively, and unless the violating nation had developed an efficient barter system to bypass it ("How about we trade you 2 million fake iPads for 20 million bushels of wheat?") they are going to have to comply.
Well, if you had a tool to remove some country from the world economy, I'd bet WW3 would start over that long before my example. Also, I am specifying that this all starts with minor countries that are not particularly friendly to the US like Venezuela and whoever else gets pissed during the trigger event I mentioned. Then the first strike wouldn't be anything extreme, maybe a few cruise missiles into a data center from a Aegis cruiser, but the sinking of said cruiser by homemade harpoon missiles escalates the conflict and bango.
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Re: How to start world war III?

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The only scenario I could imagine in what you are describing would require that the original rogue country would have to be ruled by an egomaniac with full dictatorial power and absolutely without any allies that would reign them in. While North Korea would fit most of that description, the problem is that they have a 600 pound gorilla sitting on their border in the form of China. And that means they are not going to allow Kim to threaten their economic boom and the ability to influence the South and Western Pacific by attracting a war there.
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Re: How to start world war III?

Post by Number Six »

At least the U.S. is far less likely to try another nation-building experiment. If the Iraq rebuilding had been done right--by decapitating the top rung of leadership and keeping the Ba'ath Party members and the military well-fed and paid with our own strong man to replace Saddam, the success there would have been used as a springboard for the next one. Thank pretty boy Bremer and his non-pragmatic ideological style of governance for the disaster.

WWIII could be started by any one of the ideology-driven maniacs out there if history is any example, fortunately we have government to slow down reckless actions by other governments, diplomacy and high-tech intelligence agencies and the best military in the world that will hopefully be able to prevent potential threats from becoming real ones.
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Re: How to start world war III?

Post by Gregg »

Sort of off topic, but I think our problems in Iraq now are because the US now has a policy of fighting wars without hurting anyone's feelings. The militants in Iraq don't know that they lost the war, they think it was just a little setback in the beginning.

In June of 1945, your average former Nazi Fanatic begging for food in Berlin knew that Germany had lost the war. Hell, in Berlin you could see both Munich and Keil because between you and those cities there was not much taller than you. Most of the people who survived the firebombing of Tokyo or the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were pretty sure that Japan had lost the war, even before the Emperor told them so, there's a reason they don't have a lot of historical landmarks near big cities in Japan.

No, now we have the policy of limiting collateral damage, to the point were you can't even harm the ordinary soldiers in the army or semi-organized militia, only the leaders are fair targets, and woe be upon anyone who bombs the wrong factory. Or even the right one if the bad guys have time to put up a sign that says "Baby Milk Factory" before CNN shows up. OUr policy of not even entering into Mosques has made them in some place the most likely spot for storing weapons, beating out schools and cultural sites.

One of my true heros from American History is William T. Sherman, and say what you want about the man, he didn't have any problems with insurgents in Atlanta.
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Re: How to start world war III?

Post by Number Six »

Many historic generals are admiral, Gregg. Sherman had an impossible task, but had the cajones and was given the authority to exercise his task. To say that he had reservations about the effects of the Civil War would be an understatement, though. He wrote this soon after the Confederacy surrendered:

"I confess, without shame, I am sick and tired of fighting—its glory is all moonshine; even success the most brilliant is over dead and mangled bodies, with the anguish and lamentations of distant families, appealing to me for sons, husbands and fathers ... tis only those who have never heard a shot, never heard the shriek and groans of the wounded and lacerated ... that cry aloud for more blood, more vengeance, more desolation."

Also, Carl Sandburg's "Ready to Kill" comes to mind.
'There are two kinds of injustice: the first is found in those who do an injury, the second in those who fail to protect another from injury when they can.' (Roman. Cicero, De Off. I. vii)

'Choose loss rather than shameful gains.' (Chilon Fr. 10. Diels)
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Re: How to start world war III?

Post by The Observer »

UGA Lawdog wrote:
Number Six wrote:Many historic generals are admiral, Gregg.
Do what? How could they be in the Navy and another service branch at the same time? :D
It has happened quite a few times, but not in US military history that I can find. As an example, Lord Mountbatten was a vice-admiral and Lieutenant General at the same time as he was an Air Marshal. Many of the other situations were either honorary promotions or the result of banana republic politics.
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Re: How to start world war III?

Post by Judge Roy Bean »

The Observer wrote:
UGA Lawdog wrote:
Number Six wrote:Many historic generals are admiral, Gregg.
Do what? How could they be in the Navy and another service branch at the same time? :D
...
Methinks Number Six meant "admirable." :wink:

And of those I've known I'd say "most" as opposed to "many."
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Re: How to start world war III?

Post by Number Six »

That too, Judge. The military members are the most disciplined and honorable people in the country.
'There are two kinds of injustice: the first is found in those who do an injury, the second in those who fail to protect another from injury when they can.' (Roman. Cicero, De Off. I. vii)

'Choose loss rather than shameful gains.' (Chilon Fr. 10. Diels)
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Re: How to start world war III?

Post by HardyW »

I'm trying to guess the language from which this has been translated by some robot. My guess is German, perhaps Dutch.