Apocalypse Now: This Time it Feels Different by Dave Barrows API

The human animal enjoys killing for profit, fun, and pleasure. The history of the human animal is one of warfare. There has been warfare all of my life: Born during World War II, the Korean War, and the War in Vietnam, Iraq (Wars 1 & 2), and Afghanistan, as well as the Israeli Wars.

These are the major conflicts (all nonnuclear) currently underway.

Country           Casualty range 2022     Type                                                  

Myanmar          10,000+                         Civil War                                           

Russia               10,000+                         Russo-Ukrainian War                         

Ukraine             10,000+                         Russo-Ukrainian War                         

Afghanistan      1,000 to 10,000              Civil War/Terrorist Insurgency            

Burkina Faso    1,000 to 10,000              Terrorist Insurgency                            

Colombia          1,000 to 10,000              Civil War/Drug War                           

DR Congo        1,000 to 10,000              Terrorist Insurgency                            

Ethiopia            1,000 to 10,000              Civil War                                           

Iraq                   1,000 to 10,000              Terrorist Insurgency/Political Unrest   

Mali                  1,000 to 10,000              Civil War/Terrorist Insurgency            

Mexico             1,000 to 10,000              Drug War                                           

Nigeria              1,000 to 10,000              Terrorist Insurgency                            

Somalia            1,000 to 10,000              Civil War                                           

South Sudan     1,000 to 10,000              Ethnic Violence                                  

Sudan               1,000 to 10,000              Terrorist Insurgency                            

Syria                 1,000 to 10,000              Civil War                                           

Yemen              1,000 to 10,000              Civil War                                           

Benin                0 to 999                          Terrorist Insurgency                            

Cameroon         0 to 999                          Terrorist Insurgency

The Cuban Missile Crisis

The closest to a nuclear Holocaust appears to have been the Cuban Missile Crisis. However, in the end, not much happened:

“The Cuban missile crisis showed that neither the United States nor the Soviet Union was ready to use nuclear weapons for fear of the other's retaliation (and thus of mutual atomic annihilation). The two superpowers soon signed the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty of 1963, which banned aboveground nuclear weapons testing.”

 

Biden and Taiwan

But CAN the United States defend Taiwan?

 “The United States should respond to any Chinese attack, yes — in that sense, there should not be strategic ambiguity — but rather than promise to respond militarily, we should seek to develop a wider range of response options that include the use of economic, diplomatic, and other tools. This approach has the benefit of being consistent with the Defense Department’s concept of “integrated deterrence,” and of not promising that we would effectively defend Taiwan when in fact, it may be beyond our power to do so.” Brookings, Michael E. O’Hanlon, Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Russia and Ukraine

But this time, it feels different. No serious nuclear power has ever publicly contemplated the use of nuclear weapons; even so-called tactical nuclear weapons (whatever that means). In my opinion, this crosses the line and makes the unthinkable, perhaps, feasible.