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Comment by zajd | Hacker News Reader

It's not what a war is, but I don't expect most people living in first world industrialized countries to understand what a war is, it's been completely outsourced to third world countries. This isn't even about nationalism, you're just wrong. If we were at war with China you'd know, because every major population center in both countries would have been leveled before you even knew it was happening.

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That's preposterous, you know full well that not every war is fought with weapons of mass destruction, not all the time at least.

The Cold War is a perfect example, and very similar to the situation we are in now with China. Are you suggesting the Cold War wasn't a war either?

The Cold War was far from cold. The Korean war, Bay of Pigs and then the various proxy wars that each side supported whilst pretending not being part of. Like the Soviet-Afghan war where the US funded, trained and supplied $billions of munitions to the Taliban. Or the rush to get influence of every revolutionary or post-independence third world nation (hence the coining of third world). Sustained hostile military stand off to keep that containment. Constant cat and mouse in the air and at sea. Every frigate, "research vessel" or "fishing" trawler, backfire or bear bomber got a scrambled escort, every exercise a response. Any one of which could have turned it hot. It got close often enough. However much it seemed like a game watching it on the news twice a week throughout my teens and beyond.

None of which are really comparable with today.

Today? A minor trade war, and some considerable industrial espionage, proven or not. There's barely even minor mention let alone posturing over Taiwan, Hong Kong or the airfields being built on China Sea islands. There's no stand off, aside from the N/S Korea border that's remnant of the Korean war stalemate. It's going to take a huge escalation to go hot (or cold war).

You really see them as comparable? I don't, not even slightly close, except only for the few shades of McCarthyism in the feature article.

I think we're in the opening chapter of something that will, over time, become comparable. I think you're downplaying the situation, the scuffles, China testing airspace and maritime laws, heavy investment in Africa, that's all from the soviet's playbook. I would be shocked if China didn't play a part in the Russian (successful) attempt to influence our elections and get poor leadership installed in the oval office.

You've consistently ignored our moderation requests. If you keep doing that, we will ban you. Please stop and don't do this on HN again.

We probably should have banned you with the every-Chinese-person-is-an-enemy slur, but I like to give people multiple chances.

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