Are we inching closer to World War III?

There are few things more terrifying than the unknown of a nuclear war. The simple press of a button could wipe out entire countries — entire continents.

The uncharted territory of nuclear destruction is what caused Cold War-era Americans to live each day in fear. They lived in a constant panic. They existed on edge, knowing that a nuclear war could erupt at any moment and life as they knew it would cease to exist — they would cease to exist. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the Cold War is believed to have concluded. Unfortunately, I suspect we are on the verge of a similar scenario, with a much less level-headed man sitting behind the big red button.

North Korea has long been boasting about its ability to send nuclear missiles and bombs to the U.S. mainland and our Pacific holdings. In response, President Donald Trump has gleefully announced his “Mega-Bomb” capable of reaching North Korea. While these bombastic declarations may appear to be nothing more than a pissing match between power-hungry world leaders, I fear our nation and world are in great danger.

In the past few months, Trump has said many things that shake me to my very core. His position on nuclear war, however, is possibly the most petrifying. Far too many times, our commander in chief has spoken about the prospect of nuclear war with a ghastly glimmer in his eye.

As tensions between the U.S., Russia, China and North Korea intensify, America is creeping closer and closer to a second Cold War era leading up to World War III. In 2016, North Korea conducted two nuclear tests and just recently conducted a ballistic missile test. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has accused the U.S. and South Korea of conspiring against his country and has warned the U.S. not to “recklessly provoke” the nation, implying that a full-on nuclear war could be the result.

After Trump’s missile strike on a Syrian military base last month, he showed Americans, as well as the world, that he has no problem with launching attacks when he sees fit. World leaders voiced their opinions of the attack with Syria, Russia and Iran criticizing the decision, while Saudi Arabia and Israel exulted the act.

It is my hypothesis that a nuclear attack will be the start of World War III and the end of the world. Despite our general lack of knowledge about nations like North Korea and Russia, they aren’t the nations that I’m worried about causing the world to combust in combat. What concerns me most is the uncertainty of our own nation. Trump has blustered about our military’s impressive weaponry and even claimed we should want to be “unpredictable” with nuclear weapons.

A world war this day in age would annihilate us all. With nuclear and chemical warfare on the table, conflict would escalate beyond what was seen in World War I and World War II.

I can certainly understand why people believe we shouldn’t shy away from international attacks. We are a strong nation, and we want to be seen as such. But is it really worth it if it brings us to war? I feel our nation can remain strong and respected without bringing the world to the brink of destruction.

I hope as a nation we can begin to strive for peace, rather than escalating an already dangerous situation. With such high-risk weaponry in play, we have much more to worry about losing than our reputation.