Armageddon, World War III, World War IV, End of Days, End of the World (several variations), Apocalypse, Judgment Day, World War V (go figure ...)

Armageddon, World War III, World War IV, World War V (go figure …), End of Days, End of the World (several variations), Apocalypse, Judgment Day, Worldwide Cataclysm, etc. ad infinitum

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This is today ...

Are we really on the brink of some sort of worldwide conflict – one that might even bring with it the use of nuclear weapons?

Well, I’d surely not rule it out, although I have faith that the powers that be, including the more volatile heads of state, such as Kim Jong Il and Mahmoud Ahmadinajad, will come to some sort of accommodation that will avoid some horrendous worldwide catastrophe. Then again, I’d read this posting quickly, since the world will probably end sometime in the next twenty-five minutes.

Fact is though, there is at least two or three scenarios that, fed with the right rhetoric from religious fanatics in the Middle East, Israeli paranoia and/or our own neocons, just might take us down the Yellow Brick Road.

Take the following scenario, for example:

1. Fighting in Iraq intensifies as occupation continues.
2. Iran takes advantage of US preoccupation with Iraq and intensifies its efforts towards having nuclear capability.
3. US warns Iran to stop … or else!
4. US asks UN to ask Iran to stop … or else!
5. UN asks Iran to stop its nuclear program … or else!
6. North Korea watches Middle East situation unfold and says, “Why not?” They then prepare for lengthy series of medium range and ICBM testing.
7. US warns North Korea to stop … or else!
8. North Korea tests its missiles anyway; promises more to come.
9. US asks UN to ask North Korea to stop … or else!
10. UN asks North Korea to stop such provocative testing … or else!
11. Fighting in Iraq continues to intensify.
12. Israel watches Middle East and Far East crises unfolding and says, “why not?”
13. Israel invades Gaza territory and searches for Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists.
14. Most of world asks Israel to be restrained and for both Israel and the Palestinians to cease fire.
15. Hezbollah launches raid into Israel and captures/kills several Israeli soldiers.
16. Israel invades Lebanon.
17. Right wing of Republican Party in the US sees intensity of conflict increase and begin to feel the “itch.”
18. US (through its statements) asks Israel to be restrained and to consider Iran and Syria as the real villains in the Hezbollah attacks.
19. Israel intensifies its attacks onto Lebanon, even attacking civilian targets in Beirut.
20. Iran tells Israel to back off its attacks against Lebanon … or else!
21. Israel continues to intensify its attacks onto Lebanon.
22. President Bush visits G8 Summit in Europe.
23. John Bolton tells UN Security Council that Hezbollah’s “sponsor states,” Syria and Iran, must be reckoned with as well as Hezbollah.
24. Everybody involved in fighting in Middle East intensifies their efforts (US occupation forces in Iraq, Iraq Sunnis, Iraqi Shiites, Palestinians in Gaza, Israeli military, Hezbollah militants in Lebanon … and oh yes, women and children throughout the countries most deeply involved.
25. And that brings us to ... Right Now (check your watches)!!!
26. Israel invades Syria. [Projected]
27. Rush Limbaugh tosses his Viagara prescriptions in the toilet … he doesn’t need them anymore; the television screen is enough! As for Pat Robertson and others who were predicting all of this years ago, well, I won’t describe what they are doing – this is a PG-rated site.

Which leaves us with the following conditions in place, if all that happens (and the first 24 scenario steps have already happened!):

1. North Korea has nuclear weapons. (Seemingly unrelated)
2. North Korea continues to prepare for yet additional missile testing. (seemingly unrelated)
3. Iran continues to develop its nuclear capability.
4. Iran’s president (Mahmoud Ahmadinajad) has stated that Israel will be "wiped off the map"!
5. Iran and Syria have a mutual defense treaty. (an attack on one is considered by the other to be an attack upon its own territory, or something like that – certainly a nuclear attack)
6. The US and Israel have a mutual defense treaty. (an attack on one is considered by the other to be an attack upon its own territory, or something like that – certainly a nuclear attack)
7. The US wants desperately to end both North Korea’s missile testing and Iran’s nuclear weapons development.
8. Iran responds to Israeli invasion/attacks upon Syria by …

Well, you get the idea and I could surely write at least five or six continuations of the above scenario, and I haven't even mentioned Pakistan's, India's, Russia's, China's and our own nukes -- and implication in all of the above … and the twenty-five minutes we had left when you started reading this posting are down to eighteen …

I’m old enough to remember what to do … duck and cover!