So is this World War III? The term doesn't mean anything, and that's a problem

[marmar]

So is this World War III? The term doesn’t mean anything, and that’s a problem
If you're anxious about global conflict, you're not alone. But war is so different now we almost can't see it

By Troy Farah
National Affairs Editor
Published March 25, 2026 9:00AM (EDT)


(Salon) Sometimes it’s in our best interest to avoid the advice of economic professionals. In this case, I refer to Henry Morgenthau Jr., secretary of the Treasury under President Harry Truman, whose 1944 “Post-Surrender Program for Germany” was widely attacked as a collective punishment that might result in the death by starvation of 25 million people. One report at the time described it as “barely above the level of ‘sterilize all Germans.’”

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Well, so much for that. Warfare never really ended, but it became a relatively rare event in the decades after World War II. In this century, that trend has reversed — and the U.S. is clearly culpable in many of these conflicts. In 2025 alone, the U.S. bombed seven different countries across three continents: Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Yemen and Somalia. This year is already on track to maintain that record as the Pentagon begs for another $200 billion to continue its thorougly unnecessary attacks on Iran. Who can we thank for all this more than Donald “The Dove” Trump, who chairs the “Board of Peace” while eyeing even more regime change, in Cuba and elsewhere.

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Sure, there’s random talk about “World War III,” a term that shows up in numerous headlines in all sorts of bizarre contexts. Even former Trump fan Joe Rogan has criticized the president’s latest war, saying it could get “really ugly, because that’s how you start a World War III.” A recent Emerson College poll found that 63% of likely voters believed it was “somewhat or very likely” that a world war will break out within the next four years. Polling from almost a year ago painted a similar picture.

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Part of the problem is that it’s unclear what “war” even means in the 21st century. It looks barely recognizable, compared to historical footage or war movies of the past. This allows events to balloon beyond our comprehension, and may be preventing us from stopping this insanity. ....................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2026/03/25/so-is-this-world-war-iii-the-term-doesnt-mean-anything-and-thats-a-problem/