• underisk@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    10 months ago

    It can involve the nuclear powers without them being in direct, overt conflict with each other. I’m not arguing in bad faith; I genuinely believe that your definition of “World War” is remarkably narrow and I feel I’ve been pretty consistent about trying to lay out my reasoning for that.

    • Urist@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      10 months ago

      Proxy wars historically have never constituted world wars by any account.

        • Urist@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          10 months ago

          Yes, that is vacuously true. If it stops being so, recorded history will end.

          • underisk@lemmy.ml
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            10 months ago

            If all the nuclear powers aligned against all the non-nuclear states and waged a war of extermination against them, that would, by your terms, not qualify as a “World War”.