The Big Answer

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Apocalypse Right Now? is an interview of Alvin and Heidi Toffler by the Psychology Today staff. The Tofflers offered their views on a technologically advanced future, and also opinions about how to avoid nuclear conflicts. They supplied excerpts from their latest book, War and Anti-War. "Armies all over the world are racing to meet the realities of the 21st century. Peacemaking, by contrast, plods along, trying to apply methods more appropriate to a distant past. This much we know: The way we make war reflects the way we make wealth, and the way we make anti-war (or peace) must reflect the way we make war."

War

The Tofflers feel the situation is distressing. "We think it's a very dangerous situation. . . . There will be future wars, of course, and cutting defense spending across the board is not a good strategy. We're not lacking in military strategy; we're lacking in political strategy. . . . we are exceedingly vulnerable to attack if you listen to the people who actually monitor these things. . . . [in wars,] know what the enemy is doing and prevent him from knowing what you are doing. . . . because our country is the most dependent on its space-based assets and on advanced communications, it is also the most vulnerable to any adversary who can successfully disable or sabotage them." Of course our power grid is extremely vulnerable as well, and few civilian power grids or water utilities or transportation systems are hardened against EMP (electromagnetic pulse) bursts from our sun or enemy EMP weapons.

USA is the most dependent on its space-based assets and on advanced communications and the most vulnerable to any adversary who can successfully disable or sabotage them

An important aspect of wars will be fought in the media, with our spin doctors against their spin doctors, but each side will show only what their own side's media puts out there, so people who want the real story will be going online and on cell phones to get other views, although there are legions of buffoons ready to swallow the preposterous idea that their country's media is reporting the unadulterated truth and all others are lying. So each side will try to prevent the other's messages from getting out there. of course, Third Wave media outlets are also a tool to promote peace.

Way too many countries have nuclear, chemical and biological weapon capabilities and many countries around the world hate each other—especially the United States.