russ_watters said:
A world war has major world powers on both sides of the fight.
If that is the case, then it will start when we invade Iran. China and Russia have both thrown in their lot with the Iranians, and I think it is likely they would side with them in an armed conflict.
Is that the actual definition of a world war? I don't have my webster's on hand.
I'd make the case it has already begun. We are fighting thousands of individuals scattered world wide who do not fight under a national banner, rather one of radical islam. These so called terrorists have carried out attacks on at least four continents in multiple nations (USA,UK, Canada (Thwarted), Spain, Germany (thwarted), Indonesia, Australia, Israel).
These attacks have roused the attention of many nations, as evidenced by the mutlinational force that invaded iraq.
Granted this war is different than any other we have fought before, but I think this is going to be the trend for the indefinite future. The days of large standing armies going to war in a battlefield are over. Small skirmishes in urban areas are going to be the norm.
In my mind it is clear, we are living in world war 3 but nobody has dared call it that yet.