[shrinkermd]

There is something different this time. The technology of war, including weapons of mass destruction, is such that a mere handful can control hundreds of millions --yes, even billions. That is why Iran, Iraq and N Korea will all be disarmed of WMD or have regime changes or both. Only a few larger powers will have WMD. Even these must be reduced in number and power.

The remaining nuclear and other powers will gradually interact so much, it will be unnecessary to continue with multiple sources of WMD. It may take decades but globalization will eventually result in only one military power. How this will be finalized is unclear, but it will happen or else we will have a catastrophe. Considering the many years of confrontation, it is almost a miracle that we and the old Soviet Union and Red China did not have a nuclear exchange. Someone did their job.

[SmithW]

Either globalization or catastrophe.

What sort of catastrophe, exactly?

Who, what, when, where, how, and why?