Quote Originally Posted by Tamara View Post
I am keeping a weather eye on the situation in eastern Ukraine, though, as that plate appears to be wobbling on its stick and could fly off with more force than anybody is really expecting.
Yaar. And consider that, given the transportation and comms and "more global" economy of today vs early 20th century, the links that can support the building of ww-level tensions can easily operate intercontinentally. (What politically and economically irritating forces of socialism and empire exist outside the Ukraine's immediate geography, and what effect would they have if brought into play?) Of course, stabilizing forces are also more powerful today, but only when there's a will to use them effectively.

Just like in the ccw conversion, the odds of IS or Ukraine leading to ww3 are low but not insignificant. Just like in the ccw conversation, it's not the odds that worry me, it's the stakes.