The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the Doomsday Clock to 89
seconds to midnight, highlighting threats from nuclear weapons, the
climate emergency, and emerging technologies.
Performative outrage is so very effective. Meanwhile, the largest military in the world is being led by a mad king and his tech oligarchy. No one will be around to move the clock to midnight when the time comes.
Yeah, someone turns it to midnight, and then it’s doomsday morning. And then later, when you get to work everyone thinks they’re a freaking comedian when they say “ugh, doomsdays… am I right?” You’ll have to hear some variation of that joke all day. “Oh man, doomsdays are the worst”, yeah Bob, you’re hilarious…
(And yes, you’ll be working on doomsday, you don’t get those off)
Proxy wars are in fact good. Please allow me to explain what I mean.
Of course, the ideal state is full peace, no wars be they proxy or otherwise. For various reasons, that seems to be impossible for the super powers to achieve. Be it greed or the (perceived or real) need to shape the strategical interests of said super powers, it appears sometime wars are the only solution leaders have at their disposal (again, there is an argument against this, but leaders often seem to choose war).
Why are proxy wars “better”, then? Because they allow the pretending of not being involved. Because they allow the defeated super power to lose without actually losing a war. Proxy wars allow an easy out. It is far easier to explain to proud super power’s citizens that some nation somewhere lost the war, but not us.
Also full war, engages all of said countries assets, including the nuclear weapons. One of the very real issues with the war in Ukraine is that Russia very often threatens with nuclear strikes and, even if they aren’t serious about it this still leads to escalation and for the other countries to consider the real possibility of nuclear war. If the war in Ukraine would be waged by a proxy of Russia, let’s say Belarus, it would be much more difficult to even have those nuclear threats. Russia would not be able to keep saying they are not involved while threatening with nukes.
In conclusion, proxy wars are the ‘sane’ (if you can call it that) solution to wars between super powers.
Just put it at midnight and be done with this.
My doomsday prep kit is ready. It’s a camping chair and a bottle of whiskey. I have realistic expectations about surviving the end of the world.
Fuck it, I’m overdosing on edibles. “It’s not possible” shut up I need this.
You might not die but at least you won’t gaf about it.
I’d add a cigar and sunglasses
and some spheres of ferrous metal; perhaps some balls of steel.
I don’t got wiskey but I got vodka at the ready.
The stupidity of trying to warn people of impending doom by moving a figurative dial 1/90th of its travel is perfectly suited for this timeline
3… 2… 1… One half… One quarter…
Zeno’s Paradox tells us the end will never truly arrive… 🧔♂️🐢
… Three sixteenths… I mean it Donald, you behave yourself right now!!
Performative outrage is so very effective. Meanwhile, the largest military in the world is being led by a mad king and his tech oligarchy. No one will be around to move the clock to midnight when the time comes.
I’ve been assured that someone will be there to move it to 88 seconds
Just proving that it’s all bs. It should be <30 seconds
At least they recently closed lots of overseas bases
Moving it only one second ahead to 89 seconds doesn’t feel like it’s enough, I feel more like it’s 30 seconds or less.
I wonder what happens at Doomsday? Does someone take time out of their suffering to turn the clock to midnight?
Yeah, someone turns it to midnight, and then it’s doomsday morning. And then later, when you get to work everyone thinks they’re a freaking comedian when they say “ugh, doomsdays… am I right?” You’ll have to hear some variation of that joke all day. “Oh man, doomsdays are the worst”, yeah Bob, you’re hilarious…
(And yes, you’ll be working on doomsday, you don’t get those off)
After doomsday we might finally live free.
The problem is that some folks want the freedom to ignore yours and are willing to act on that desire.
Yeah, but I’m willing to ignore their freedom to ignore mine, and to act on this desire.
You get a freedom, you get a freedom, everyone gets a freedom. Except the fascists
That’s when we finally get clarity on the owner of every tract of land in the world.
Pony rides? Cake and ice cream? Smallpox?
That’s when the big reset happens
Yeah, we know clock, we know.
My clock might be running a little fast then
Have you adjusted it for Doomlight Savings Time?
Things are tense, but are they really Cuban Missile Crisis levels of tense?
Back during the Cold War, the leaders seemed to at least have some semblance of self perservation of their nation.
Right now, we have two leaders who don’t give a shit about their nations, they are justs the excuse and the means to an end for them.
Just 2? I’m pretty sure there are a bunch.
There are currently three nations with these types of leaders that are capable of inflicting dammage on eachother.
The USA, Russia and China.
Two of them seems to have lost all sense of reality, The US and Russia, one of which is currently engaged in a war, Russia.
China is happy to just take a bigger piece of the pie from the US and Russia.
You forgot India and Pakistan
The US is, as usual, still engaged in a bunch of proxy wars
So is Russia, but its still one hot war ahead.
Proxy wars are in fact good. Please allow me to explain what I mean.
Of course, the ideal state is full peace, no wars be they proxy or otherwise. For various reasons, that seems to be impossible for the super powers to achieve. Be it greed or the (perceived or real) need to shape the strategical interests of said super powers, it appears sometime wars are the only solution leaders have at their disposal (again, there is an argument against this, but leaders often seem to choose war).
Why are proxy wars “better”, then? Because they allow the pretending of not being involved. Because they allow the defeated super power to lose without actually losing a war. Proxy wars allow an easy out. It is far easier to explain to proud super power’s citizens that some nation somewhere lost the war, but not us.
Also full war, engages all of said countries assets, including the nuclear weapons. One of the very real issues with the war in Ukraine is that Russia very often threatens with nuclear strikes and, even if they aren’t serious about it this still leads to escalation and for the other countries to consider the real possibility of nuclear war. If the war in Ukraine would be waged by a proxy of Russia, let’s say Belarus, it would be much more difficult to even have those nuclear threats. Russia would not be able to keep saying they are not involved while threatening with nukes.
In conclusion, proxy wars are the ‘sane’ (if you can call it that) solution to wars between super powers.
Is it still proxy if you have military bases and boots on the the ground on foreign territory
Well, I thought Modi was the greatest risk to ending all life on earth, but now its Trump again.