Look - I'm no fan of war. But those were baby wars compared to WWII. I'm talking War that settles the issue of who the hegemon is, who gets their debts wiped out, and who's currency is the reserve currency that gets to finance some major reconstruction after the destruction. A war that creates a global "clean slate." Granted, nukes have changed the scenario a lot. It will be interesting as competition for global resources intensifies and as major gov'ts either hyperinflate or default. Such issues are difficult to resolve peacefully. In many ways a depression is an overshoot on the part of population, consumption, and credit. I don't see how a correction can be attained thru monetary or fiscal policies.
Some of the clowns on this side of the pond seem to have forgotten that fact. Stay clear of China and Russia's borders. Consequently, they'll have to stay clear of ours. Mutual Assured Destruction.
If and only if Russia goes nuclear. And since M.A.D. kept the peace for decades, this is unlikely. In the conventional war thing, the Russian military is a shadow of the Soviet days. Georgie was a housefly compared to Russia. Iraq (3rd largest army in the world or something like that) was supposed to be a real challenge years ago. After a couple weeks bombardment, their ground forces fell quickly. Remember the Highway of death, a road from Kuwait back to Iraq that was left a shambles of Iraqi military equipment and bodies? It is all about air power and superior technology now. Or else you fight with guerilla/terrorist tactics. The only reason we struggle in Iraq and Afghanistan now, is we are fighting faceless Taliban/Al-Qaeda having no tanks, planes, no ships, no infrastructure to take out, etc. etc. Russia? Again, only if nuclear, chemical or biological weapons used. But someday, this will happen
The inverse is as true, except the timeline, which should be 2-14 minutes, with sub-launched missiles (2 minutes for coastal cities, up to 14 minutes for interior cities). Is there a point to MAD? Or just a tangent to end the game if one side cannot hold more points than the other? All that is needed, before launch, is a nice central EMP detonation, in space above either continent, to immobilize both government and civilians, and kill communications. Wall Street will be devalued to zero by EMP minutes before the mushroom clouds rise. Hope you all are cashed out by then. However, I agree with your point of inevitability. Russia and/or Islam WILL attack <b>Israel</b>. Then, all gloves will be off.
Russia knows that Israel has hundreds of nukes, and they want to live. The problem is, that many in Islam are willing to die, such as when some cleric gets someone all lathered up (ie, the cleric wasn't willing to do the suicide bombing THEMSELVES, they always find some young person to brainwash and carry out the act.) The Iranian election was a perfect example. The conservative clerics could not stand the thought of moderates running the country, so they railroaded the election, and then blamed other countries for their reign of terror against their own people.