We're so f*cked

[Kane]

The dissolution of the EU would throw the continent into chaos, their respective economies into chaos, unleash hell on the southern periphery, and see an untold amount of political instability. The countries would remain but their influence on the global stage would be greatly diminished. Once every country goes nationalist in all matters coordination and cooperation goes away.

It'll be down to divide and conquer by outside interests.

[broken robot]

[John Galt]

in the heart of every european is a person who is consumed with bloodrage; how else can we account for thousands of years of european history? they all know it, they know they are the most savage people on the planet, so they go for "ever closer union" until they overreach. then it all just blows up in their faces

and i don't think the next great war would go nuclear, unless the french did it. i could totally see them doing it. f**k frenchies

[John Galt]

[Kane]

[broken robot]

[broken robot]

Kane, domestic conflicts can only be mobilized as support for external intervention if there is either a system that generates such interests or a bigger ideological conflict that threatens the "way of life" in the country itself. Just because people hate the "other" doesn't mean they want to go to war and conquer territory. WW2 basically destroyed the old colonial system. Since then empires have become networks of bases, as opposed to territorial conquest. Unless you can convince me that powers other than the US and, again, maybe Russia have an ideology to expand abroad, I really don't see UK, Germany, France, Italy, etc. suddenly deciding they need to get involved in foreign conflicts requiring full-scale mobilization.

Similarly, China's spat involving the islands is simply asserting hegemony in the region rather than a prelude to literally trying to conquer other countries. The Chinese are economically involved in places, but they do not have the same metaphysical belief that China is the "world's leader" competing with Pax Americana. Even in places where China has seen its economic interests threatened by changes in political power, it's more likely to go through the backdoor rather than full-scale confrontation to defend a friendly regime, aside from the DPRK of course. I don't buy into the Foreign Affairs rhetoric that China is the "new threat."

Unless there's a revolution and an ideology that fundamentally threatens the system, I highly doubt that powers other than the US will try and invade other countries, aside from say, brief interventions, such as French involvement in its former colonial possessions in Africa. You're right though about one thing: as a sociologist put it, it's now socialism or barbarism or death, because climate change is a real possibility. We may be too late, maybe not, but still better to try now rather than later. We need a new system.

[Darkhorse]

A harsh winter can force the kind of self-reflection needed to refocus and reprioritize. Intense conflict often leads to resolution, which is something we've been without for quite some time. We're overdue. The longer we keep this period of prosperity on life support, the more painful its end is likely to be.

[broken robot]

Meh, a bit like this forum, clinging on for dear life when we've lost any sense of purpose. Once basic human needs have been met most people face existential issues. The thing we forget though is life is always a struggle and prosperity can be breed complacency. We didn't realize the rug had already been pulled.

[broken robot]