hypothetical forum scenario: WAR

**the_mango55** · October 12, 2006, 12:54 AM

Ok, lets suppose for a moment that the two countries that seem to have the largest representation on the forums, the US and UK, went to war. What would happen to forum dynamics?

1. Would forum members from the warring nations be civil towards each other?
2. Would the moderators be able to keep control, or would they too be lured into nationalistic bickering (I'm not accusing any moderator specifically here

)?
3. Where would the sympathies of the other nationalities lie? (assuming this was a war of equal aggression)
4. Would the forum even survive? Would any thread even exist without the posters discarding the thread topic completely and going into rants?

Post any other things you think may happen in addition to these.

I know this has a 0% chance of happening, so I don't want posts talking about how this is useless or impossible, it is hypothetical.

**Garbarsardar** · October 12, 2006, 01:00 AM

You an have a pre-view (albeit a modest one) by visiting threads like the one on the break up of Yougoslavia or the Greek-Armenian-Turkish threeways.

The climate here would mirror the instances and outcome of this conflict. The non UK or US moderators would have a field day and the rest would be kept out (one way or the other) from the topic.

Now in case of a protracted struggle it is difficult to imagine the changes in mentality (since it's a far fetched hypothesis) but I can guess that US based servers would undergo a patriotic transformation as the UK counterparts...

**MaximiIian** · October 12, 2006, 01:03 AM

Methinks there'd be major factioning between the members initially, with US posters sticking together, and British posters doing the same. There'd be a short spout of uncontrolled and belligerent flaming between the two sides, but the mods would crack down swiftly. British mods would be permabanning American posters left and right, and vice versa with US moderators.

**LoZz** · October 12, 2006, 10:32 AM

i would stop posting and join the army!

**mrjesushat** · October 12, 2006, 10:57 AM

A chance to kill the redcoats all over again? Sign me up.

Wait...it wasn't that easy in 1776 or 1812, was it? Never mind then. But I'll say this, and I mean it. When European nations war with eachother, they share a common background and civilization, even if there are certain governmental or theoretical differences. A war between the U.S. and the U.K. would have to get very nasty and drag on a very long time before I think we'd see real, deep hatred from people on both sides. It would be within the character of both national groups to communicate with one another even during the conflict. This would of course depend upon the nature of the dispute. I think this question would be better served by positing a war between nations of different socio-cultural composition. Brits and Yanks share too much to be entirely antagonistic toward one another, even in times of war.

**Søren** · October 12, 2006, 11:39 AM

Personally I would treat no-one any differently than I would have before.

For that matter, I wouldn't even be supporting Britain anyway, (I'm British) if our reasons for war were wrong.

**Tecumseh** · October 12, 2006, 01:13 PM

I wonder where canadian loyalty would lie in such a war?

I would support the U.S., even though our head of state is still technically the Queen. I guess I'm a traitor of sorts.

**LSJ** · October 12, 2006, 04:23 PM

If there was a conflict between the UK and US, Canada would have no part of it. There would be no way they would risk going to war with half of the world, or a powerful neighbouring nation. Canada would be neutral, and any country that tried to force Canada to go to war along side them would be named the bad guy (like someone bombing Switzerland). There would be a lot of problems though, like Europe supporters having bar fights with America supporters...

I doubt there would be hatred, but there would certainly be patriotism (my country's better than yours) all over the place and a bunch of people here off to their military. Anyone either in reserve, regular forces, or in training of some sort would go off to fight.
I wouldn't know what would be happening, because I would be hiding in one of the big underground bunkers built in case of nuclear war in the 60s. Even if I had internet access, TWC would be the last thing on my mind.

**Lavastein** · October 13, 2006, 03:08 PM

if a war broke out im sure some of us would die. A war wouldnt last too long if its a US UK war. Without any your bad im good stuff id say the US would win based on statistics. 2 years at most and we'd be back to something semi normal.

**LoZz** · October 14, 2006, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by Lavastein

if a war broke out im sure some of us would die. A war wouldnt last too long if its a US UK war. Without any your bad im good stuff id say the US would win based on statistics. 2 years at most and we'd be back to something semi normal.

2 years? look at iraq? their not predicting usa pull out till 1010, they didnt even have a decent army and the war has cost over 2000 american lives, the SAS, SBS, SRR, royal marines, m15 and m16 (SIS) would make life 10x worse then the iraq insurgent groups do

i personal feel it will be another vietnam, america would invade, get about half way but suffer so many loses public pressure would force the goverment to pull out and it would be a case of both sides saying they won. im not going to nieve i feel britian would be worse off and have almost all its citys reduced to rubble. but i also think america wouldnt be able to complete it goal of forceing britian to surrender or removeing the british goverment or wipeing it completely out so it couldnt be clamed as a victory.

i dont think nukes would even be considered as both sides have enough nukes to wipe out the other (america could wipe out birtian more times over, but thats pointless you just have to be able to do it once!)

**Lavastein** · October 14, 2006, 03:37 PM

there is a difference betwen iraqi's and the english. We share an identity and if the english were to surrender I believe their wouldnt be so much crap as we are taking in the middle east. Remeber that most of the deatghs came from terrorists bombing cars and such, not from battle action.

we also must look at the small amount of land that american forces would need to cover. Going from the beaches to london wouldnt be to hard, especially with the bombardment capabilities we could enflict if our gov wouldnt puss out because of civies. But i dont think we could invade either though since the rest of the European world join in. But they arent a major threat, maybe drag the war on for another 3 years.

**gigagaia** · October 17, 2006, 07:45 AM

Please remember that the topic is not "who's army is better," or "Who would win" but "what would happen to the forum dynamics at TWC in the event of a war." Let's try and keep on track with that one

thanks!

**Black Francis** · October 17, 2006, 08:33 AM

I think you may be forgetting about Canada and Australia as allies... they are still part of the commonwealth... then add to the equasion the entire of the EU.... all against an already stretched and demoralised US...