WORLD WAR III: Remember the Golden Age, if You Can

(Originally published 8/7/06.)

What does World War feel like?

One thing’s for sure, it doesn’t feel good and it comes on fast. And if history’s any lesson, a World War comes on too fast to know it’s even happened.

Consider the opening paragraph of Salman Rushdie’s novel “Fury,” Professor Malik Solanka, retired historian of ideals, irascible dollmaker, and since his recent fifty-fifth birthday celibate and solitary by his own (much criticized) choice, in his silvered years found himself living in a golden age. The rambling celeb of a novel it is, strangely published on September 4th, 2001, Rusdie’s story captured those final moments in New York before the world—the US’s world especially—took a nose dive.

Irrefutably it was that heinous September Tuesday almost five years ago that unleashed the dogs. What had been a global war of a few hundred suddenly barged into the living room—and lives—of Americans. Some say that history will view the invasion of Iraq that followed as nothing more than a continuation of the George HW Bush’s first war in the Persian Gulf. Has this all been a single current shoving history along?

There’s been much talk of World War III lately. The former House Speaker Newt Gingrich first uttered the perplexing phrase on the hotshot Sunday talk show “Meet the Press.” Since, he’s gone on to lecture on the subject.

However, in the US, war has become prosaic, more a nuisance than a sacrifice and a cause. Despite the fact that Iraq has gotten so out of hand that civil war reigns and none of the military brass have a viable remedy on the table (even worse, politicians lay in either of two camps: delusional [right] or opportunistic [left]), still it’s an all-volunteer army. The country hasn’t been forced to mobilize behind any war effort, as it did when fighting the Japanese to the west and the Axis to the east.

Is that changing? The recent eruption of war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has people at wits end. Watching the normal pundits on nightly talk shows this last week, worry's heavy weight charged conversations that had heretofore always seemed so contemplative and simple.

Listen to people’s voices. Have their tone, their pace, changed? Quicker, more frantic, as if the stakes have grown higher than anyone accounted for?

According to Bill Bryson’s book, “Made in America,” The fact is that most wars didn’t get the name by which we know them until much later. He writes that The American Revolution wasn’t called as such in the 19th century. The Civil War? Nope. Southerners called it the War Between the States and the Northerners called it the War of Rebellion. Logically, it took World War II to give World War I its name, and the latter didn’t take hold until almost 1945. Till then it was the War for Survival.

Try it this week, ask your family. Ask your friends. Ask your co-workers. Be nonchalant about it: Is this World War III?

Come back to The Inquirer and post what you find. The results could very well be telling. What's more, they could be very frightening.

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(Photo from Media Matters.)

Comments

[Mark]

Well I honestly think it is WWIII because of what's going on right now in Israel and Lebanon. I mean look at the facts, Syria even said they've called up their army reserves just incase Israel takes the fight over to their side. Even George Bush and Tony Blair both said that the only way to disarm Hezbollah is to get rid of its supporters as well...Iran and Syria. Ok, worst case scenario, lets just say Isreal gets into war with Iran and Syria, then of course more than likely the United States President and the British Prime Minister will join in the fight as well because Israel is our ally. Now which two major countries are allies to Iran....Russia and China of course. Now if we declare war on Iran, then Russia and China will have to declare war on us. So my guess is that this is WWIII but who knows? My theory is that the Revelation is upon us so be ready.

[Gavin Harper]

Russia and China aren't going to declare war on us, come on. That doesn't make any type of sense or hold any value to either. China has forever kept themselves secluded and done a great job at it. Even now they are very reserved to making any sort of huge move. Just look at their culture, very patient and intelligent, thinking things through, thoroughly before decision. Russia, on the other hand pose much more of a threat, but like the Chinese, are very intelligent people. They have no glorified ambitions of taking over the world, that doesn't make sense. The problem, as said in previous Inquirer articles, isn't with any nation. It is with the radical extreme Muslims. I haven't heard of any news of the Russians or Chinese holding ties with these extremists. The only non Muslim ties to these extremists I have ever heard of are with the US and Bin Laden about 15 years ago. I don't know the how to solve the problem, I don't think anyone does.

[Freddy]

Your kidding??? You are giving us the Best of 4 Months?? Your gift box labled "Gold in the Archive" arrived with nothing - except those pink styrofoam peanuts.