World War 3: Millennials fear nuclear attack and global conflict within their lifetime

The poll by the Red Cross found millennials – adults between the ages of 20 and 35 – are deeply pessimistic about the future they face with high levels of concern about conflicts and nuclear weapons. According the survey for the humanitarian group, 54 per cent expect a nuclear attack to be carried out in the next decade.  Researches interviewed 16,000 millennials in 16 countries and found a majority nervous about future conflicts fearing heightened global tensions were likely to lead to a catastrophic war.

Among those surveyed, 47 percent think World War 3 will break out in their lifetime.

Two in five millennials (42 per cent) from countries at peace believe it is “somewhat” or “very” likely that they will be affected by war or armed conflict in the future. Just over half (51 per cent) do not think they will be affected.

Swiss and British millennials are the most optimistic, with 76 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively, considering it unlikely that they will be directly affected by war or an armed conflict in the future.

They are closely followed by their counterparts in France (56 per cent) and Mexico (55 per cent). Malaysia has the highest share of people who believe that a nuclear attack will occur in the next decade (77 per cent), while war-ravaged Syria has the highest share of people who believe such an attack is unlikely (56 per cent).

At the same time, the clear majority of millennials think that wars and armed conflict are avoidable, with those from war-affected countries more hopeful than those in conflict-free countries.

The report found young adults believe there should be limits in war and that civilian casualties should be avoided.

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They overwhelmingly oppose the use of weapons of mass destruction – be they nuclear, biological or chemical – in any circumstance.

Red Cross legal adviser Nishat Nishat said: “I think there is something very encouraging at the fact that millennials, my generation and people in the world, I think generally now have understood the sort of catastrophic effects nuclear weapons could have and how those effects would be just unacceptable regardless of the circumstances under which these would be used.”

Introducing the report, ICRC President Peter Maurer said: “Millennials appear to see cataclysmic war as a real likelihood in their lifetime.”

“Overall, these results indicate a significant level of fear that, in the future, there will be more, not fewer, wars.

“They reveal a worrying acceptance of dehumanising language or actions towards perceived or real ‘enemies’ that is prevailing in an era of fake news, disinformation and polarised viewpoints.”

source: express.co.uk