Is this World War III?

[PhillySane]

How many countries are we and our allies militarily active in right now? Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Yemen...
Feel free to add more to that list.

[Generic Other]

1. WWIII is when the cyberwar with China destroys our military

without a shot being fired.

[HopeHoops]

4. China has already made major strides at destroying our economy with allies inside the US.

Those allies are, of course, the Republicans.

[Octafish]

13. Big Time

Take the case of Magnequench, wherein the USA outsourced guided missile technology to China.

[Lars39]

2. According to those in the Bush admin., we've already had WWIII.

[RZM]

3. Those are hotspots, but not theaters in a unified grand conflict

Unless of course you buy into the 'war on terror' thing (and even if you do, Libya doesn't really fit in there).

[PhillySane]

6. So everyone has to be unified

against a single unified enemy (with how many countries involved?) in order to declare it a world war?

[RZM]

8. I think 'World War' also implies opponents that are more closely matched

And theaters in many different regions of the world, not to mention extensive mobilization and 'war footing.' We don't really have that right now.

[BOG PERSON]

5. no, it's a bunch of small wars like the british used to have.

[PhillySane]

7. except its not just the British anymore

[BOG PERSON]

15. that's true, but they're still recognized as junior partners

not as competitors. because there isn't a british empire anymore.

[Sherman A1]

9. Actually the Global War on Terror is WW5

For Wars fought on a Global Scale...
1) The 7 Years War (French & Indian War in North America)
2). What we commonly know as WWI
3). What we commonly know as WWII
4). The Cold War
5). The Global War on Terror.

[Poll_Blind]

10. Now that's an interesting thought. Hadn't occurred to me before.

Hrm...

PB

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. If it is, we already lost. Can we quit now?

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. Nothing like it

It is, as others say, the world's most powerful nation having small-scale fighting in a few places (Iraq was larger scale, but not so much now). Just like Britain did 100 years ago.

The deaths in 2011 in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Yemen and Syria, added up, may not even be as many as in the DRC, for that matter. A conflict which the US and its allies have studiously ignored.

[Bonobo]

14. Anyone and everyone but good ol' Saudi Arabia...

Remember them? The place the 9/11 hijackers ACTUALLY came from?

[One_Life_To_Give]

16. Not nearly enough dead bodies

In the ten years of the Global War on Terror. We have lost roughly the same number as we lost on Iwo Jima alone.

France and the UK lost over 1% of their population in WW2. The US was much luckier at only 0.3%. While countries like Poland lost 16% of their population. Some estimates for total deaths in the war exceed 2% of global population.