Humanity is practicing for World War II again – this time with a live stream

World War III is knocking politely at the door once again. Not loudly. Not dramatically. More like a grumpy neighbor who's been threatening for years to "really come over someday." And this time, the situation is supposedly particularly serious.

Tel Aviv now looks like Gaza in places, it is said. Rockets with multiple warheads are striking, entire streets disappearing in dust. Iran is now allegedly using cluster munitions, those neat little gifts of modern warfare designed to turn as many people as possible into very small problems at once. And the best part: this is supposedly not even the full arsenal. In other words: this was just the overture.

Meanwhile, the Houthis from Yemen are attacking US warships, allegedly with Iranian and Chinese anti-ship missiles. Two American ships are reportedly already out of action—perhaps sunk, perhaps damaged, or perhaps simply part of the usual fog of information, which in wartime is about as reliable as a weather forecast on a volcano. At the same time, Shiite militias in Iraq are shelling US bases in Syria. North Korea is reportedly offering Iran a nuclear bomb—a diplomatic gift, so to speak. One has to give Kim Jong-un credit: when he offers something, he goes all out.

Meanwhile, the British are reinforcing their military bases in Cyprus. Turkey, for its part, is bringing weapons and soldiers to the Turkish-controlled part of the island. Because nothing promotes stability quite like two NATO states militarily sizing each other up. The airport in Doha is badly damaged. So are US bases in Kuwait. China is sending military warnings to the US and Israel. Oil and gas prices are rising faster than the pulse of European economic ministers. In short: The ingredients for a global conflagration now read like the menu of a geopolitical nightmare.

And somewhere in news studios around the world, analysts sit and explain with solemn faces that "the situation is complex." Complex is a charming euphemism for: no one really has control over this dynamic anymore. Of course, the big term is immediately trotted out again: World War III. The problem is that this term is now used almost as frequently as "historic times" or "unprecedented crisis." For decades, we've been told about World War III. Sometimes in Ukraine. Sometimes in Taiwan. Sometimes in the Middle East. Sometimes everywhere at once.

And yet, something interesting is happening: The world is sliding ever closer to a global confrontation, without anyone officially wanting to admit that this is precisely what is happening. Instead, politicians talk about "regional conflicts." Military leaders speak of "strategic tensions." The media of "escalation risks." This all sounds considerably more reassuring than what is actually going on: A growing number of states are currently testing how far they can go before someone finally loses their nerve.

The whole thing is reminiscent of a group of drunks experimenting with fireworks at a gas station, reassuring each other that everything is "under control." Of course, the information industry plays a role in this. Every new explosion, every missile, every military movement is immediately blown out of proportion and becomes a headline. After all, disasters sell better than stability. And while the world oscillates between panic and apathy, something far more dangerous is happening: the idea of ​​a major war is slowly becoming normalized.

People are getting used to the idea. Another attack here. Another threat there. Another military warning from Beijing. Another NATO deployment. Another missile launch. The line between crisis and normalcy is beginning to blur. Perhaps that's the real horror of modern wars: they don't begin with a bang. They begin with an endless series of escalations, each one a little worse than the last. Until eventually, no one can say exactly when a conflict turned into a world war.

But don't worry.

The experts continue to assure us that everything is under control – incidentally, they said the same thing in 1913…