So with each passing day I grow more concerned with the Iran/Israel situation. Really, with the whole powder keg in the Middle East (one little spark could set the whole thing off, and either Iran attacking Israel or Israel doing a preemptive strike cold be the spark). But this business with the head of Iran calling for Israel to be blown off the map, and Iran developing a nuclear missile, and Israel already having them (/msg and correct me if I'm wrong, please), it's pretty scary.

Yesterday I began thinking out in my head, if World War III truly were to begin, the countries of the world start grouping together much like they did in World War II. People are already talking about what countries would side with whom. It got me thinking about the world as if it were a big game board. Ever played Axis and Allies? Or Risk? Axis and Allies is more relevant to the situation, but my experience with both games suddenly had me thinking strategically about the world and how one would win the game, or the War.

Of course this train of thought may seem highly insensitive, we're talking about real countries, real people here, real destruction, and real death. But think about it. It really blows your mind about how much like a big game it is. Logically, if Iran vs. Israel starts this whole thing, the two major fronts in the war would be who is for Israel and who is for the Arabs/Muslims. In that vein, if you were to manufacture an Axis and Allies like-game to modern conditions, you'd have players either choose to be one or the other, and if they chose to be the Allies it'd be the United States and probably Canada and most likely Great Britain and the rest of Europe. Or the EU. The Axis would be, for the most part, the anti-Israel Middle East, which, let's be honest, is most of it.

But, if you choose to play Allies, you already have a big advantage. You get to put tanks and troops, what have you, in three countries in the Middle East: Israel, obviously, but also Iraq and Afghanistan! What a huge strategic advantage! Are you with me, are you following? Maybe Bush had this game of Axis and Allies in mind when he invaded Iraq, not WMDs. If Iran starts giving you trouble, you've got control of a country, already, right next to it! You don't have to move all the way from locations in Europe. You can attack in one turn! Roll the dice, George!

The real questions for the game manufacturer to solve would be, where does Russia and China fall into all this? Or North Korea? There's probably just be another mini-war along side the main one. The Nutterbutter in North Korea will probably just go ahead and attack China while everybody else is attacking everybody else. Why not? Hmm...

Again, the analogy to the game is insensitive, but it's also intriguing. Of course, when you're talking about nuclear warfare, it would shorten the game. It might not be an all day affair any longer. In one turn you could wipe out one country. You would win rather quickly.

In reality, though, if that were to happen, no matter what, everybody loses.