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Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch
Maybe, except to me WW1 was about the various secret alliances and colonial aspirations dragging countries into war.
I would think that today, we're seeing alliances breaking apart.
If anything the similarity is more along the lines of ww2 with the rise of more extreme leadership and the desire for isolationism.
The tinder that could be lit is more about economics and in the case of Russia extreme paranoia.
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That is a good point. There are probably comparisons to both situations.
I see the rise of China similar to the rise of the U.S. in the beginning of the 20th century. The balance of global power is changing and whether or not that leads to new alliances, we will see. You are right, some traditional alliances are being eroded, a large part is due to the increase of American isolationism. But I expect other alliances, especially in Europe, will fill that vacuum. As the West loses power to China, Saudis and maybe to a more imperialist Russia, the possibility of tensions increases.
Similar to how European powers before WWI were losing grip, there was a last throw of death to maintain the status quo.
Regardless, I think we can all agree that Remembrance Day has never been so important. As time goes by, we have to avoid complacency and learn from history. The factors that caused both great wars still exist today.
Honouring the human sacrifice is always just as important as remembering the causes of course. Thinking about how 10,000 Canadians were killed or wounded taking Vimy is mind blowing. Our generation has never had to experience that in large part due to the sacrifice they made and our pledge to remember them every year.