If there ever was, or when there ever is,, a World War 3 that involves major players such as the United States, China, and/or Russia on the world stage in heated and direct military conflict then God help us all. I've been spending a little time watching YouTube videos ,of a military nature, that shows capabilities or rumored capabilities of the militaries of both the United States and Russia. I realize that China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Israel as well as other players have advanced military weapon systems and arsenals but I've just been watching some of the depictions of what we and Russia have to bear off at each other and it's freighting, awesome, and scary.
Frankly it's very scary and sobering to see the advancement of weapons and weapon systems designed to make its owner invincible or at least give them a chance to prevail over their enemy without the enemy having a chance to compete equally. Many of these systems and weapons are designed as first strike weapons or weapon systems that would not give the enemy a chance to retaliate or respond. Part of the safety of our respective arsenals is that it made the theory/doctrine of mutually assured destruction a certainty or almost certainty giving each nation a valid reason not to start something with the other and to avoid conflict at all cost. The real sobering thing is to realize that these are the weapons and weapon systems that the Nations are owning up to having or have in development and you know that the best stuff or most potent and most destructive things are being kept in secret and there may be a thought that crosses one of the leader's minds that maybe we could get everything over with by one massive pre-emptive strike without any fear that there could be a reprisal or response on behalf of the one attacked. Maybe such damage and destruction could be inflicted initially that the will to fight would be eliminated and thus plant the seed of thought that a war could be won by overwhelming first attack and that we or they have weapons, offensive and defensive, that would allow for a first strike.
What all that says to me is the best scenario for any Nation in todays technological and modern field of battle is to NOT FIGHT AT ALL! That said you just know that there are some crazy, idiotic and mentally deficient players out there like the leader of North Korea that have no sense or rational thinking about them. They are crazy enough to start something that could very easily escalate and bring in other players and start a very tedious and fragile conflict that could bring about just that which everyone is hoping to avoid. While we have been developing weapons that are targeted and purposed to intercept missiles and weapons that would be incoming to attack us there are chances that some of these new, untried, and untested in battle, weapons would fail leaving catastrophic results.
Literally it is possible that we could see conflict that would or could make our planet inhabitable and change our way of life totally for a generational future period of time. Let us hope that calmer heads prevail and that even our enemies recognize that players like IRAN and N. Korea pose as great a threat to their peace as they do to ours and in return they will seek, as friends or allies, to control a situation involving, no less than, a mad man.
The danger with respect to IRAN though is different in that these are religious zealots who actually believe that if they unleash Nuclear War and seek to totally wipe out Israel or another Western Foe then it will bring about their Islamic messiah, "The Mahdi" or 12th Imam about and start the Islamic End Times. In their religion, that of Islam, the Muslims believe that their messiah figure, called the Mahdi, will come in the last days, RULE the world and bring the whole world to Islam and establish total Islamic rule over the entire world. They believe that all they have to do is START the conflict with Israel or the West and the Mahdi, who is waiting to come onto the scene, will then decide to come to earth and set up His Kingdom. That's what sets IRAN apart from say someone like N. Korea. They feel (and BELIEVE) that their Salvation and the World's conversion to Islam is within their power and all they have to do is destroy Israel (the Jews) and/or the West (America, England, France, etc ..) with whatever means they have at their disposal, and all they have to do is pull the trigger, release the weapon and start the fight.
It would be akin or like if say a Christian leader who had Nuclear weapons at their disposal and use actually believing that IF THEY USED the weapons and started a fight, a conflict, a war, then the fact that they started the war would cause Christ Jesus/God to come back to earth to set up His promised Kingdom.
So rather than the choosing of the time being the domain and choice of God or Allah these leaders of Islam, of IRAN, feel that the timing and choice is in their hands and IF they have the means then there is a very good likelihood that they would chance using them and choose to unleash them against Israel or the United States not fearing any reprisal much like a suicide bomber does. There isn't any fear of mutually assured destruction because they fully believe that in using the weapon and starting the war they would be bringing about their Islamic End Times, bringing about their ultimate Religious leader, the Mahdi, the 12th Imam, and Allah/God would then prevail against the West/Israel on their behalf so they don't fear any retaliation. They don't believe there would be assured destruction of their nation or their lives because they believe God/Allah would intercede on their behalf and prevent the West/Israel from attacking and defeating them.
That's why it's so dangerous for IRAN to possess and have a Nuclear Weapon. Our leaders and politicians though are not looking at this from a Religious perspective but from a political one. They say or feel/believe that no one in their right mind would attack us given the likelihood that we would then retaliate and wipe them out in response. They, the politicians do not realize that the doctrine of mutually assured destruction no longer is pertinent in a nation like IRAN where there is no dividing line between Government and Religion but Islam is the Government and the Government, as well as the military, is controlled by the Religious/Islamic leaders.
It's a tender, tedious, and scary time we live in and filled with unbelievable destructive weapons and methods of Killing and fighting a war. Just some food for thought.