Strange Sounds – November 9, 2020
The corona lockdowns had dramatic consequences on the international and local economies. This fallout has made the prospect of World War 3 ‘a risk’, said General Sir Nick Carter, UK’s most senior military commander.
UK and the rest of the world would need to ‘learn’ from history and the international missteps that led to the previous world wars in the last century given the uncertainties caused by the pandemic.
Here are the arguments of the Chief of the Defense Staff:
- The coronavirus pandemic and measures to slow its spread had cost the global economy $3.8 trillion (£3 trillion), and put 147 million people out of work.
- There was a worry that the increase in regional conflicts playing out across the world could ramp up into ‘a full-blown war’, mirroring the run-up to the two world wars in the 20th century when a series of alliances between countries led to years of bloodshed.
- The world has become ‘a very uncertain and anxious place’ during the pandemic, and thus there is the possibility ‘you could see escalation lead to miscalculation.’
‘We have to remember that history might not repeat itself but it has a rhythm and if you look back at the last century, before both world wars, I think it was unarguable that there was escalation which led to the miscalculation which ultimately led to war at a scale we would hopefully never see again,‘ said Sir Nick.
World War I began in 1914 after the assassination of Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand ultimately led to Europe’s major powers ending up in conflict.
World War II was precipitated by a stand-off between the increasingly aggressive Nazi Germany and the UK.
So do you think there is a real threat of World War III? I’m just saying it’s a risk and we need to be conscious of those risks.