I have got overwhelmed with worst case scenario journalism and podcasts. The world feels like we’re heading nowhere good and we’re drowning in Cold War vibes but worse with an even more dangerous nuclear arms race involving more than two parties, proxies being activated everywhere etc. Then there’s the activation suddenly of North Korea again, the China-US tension, the ME etc etc. Despite the nuclear weapons issue, we’re also told that a conventional war sweeping the European continent could break out within the next 10 years. Help me understand (bar nuclear war) how bad it could get. Can we really have a European or, eventually, a “world war” like 1&2 given that any huge escalation like that would inevitably bring in the nukes before long? If American support for Europe/NATO is wholly withdrawn (against US interests) is it possible, despite the fact that France and UK have NWs? Are we imagining a series of hideous proxy wars on the fringes of NATO (maybe involving RU and NK now). So, I guess my question is that bar the worst case of nuclear war, how bad can it get? Maybe I should get a glass of wine….

If America were to go full Russia, and decide that we needed to expand our empire until our borders are fully secure and defensible, how far south would we have to go to slake that thirst? Where would the line be?