Unlike the previous two world wars, the world isn't balanced anymore. Back then, there was no super power. Now days the US military could take on the other top 8 powers in the world combined and be fine. Even China's military is a JOKE compared to the US, and Russian even more so.

The US doesn't destroy nations nearly as quickly as we could because we are concerned about global reputation. If someone were to trigger a global war or attack us in a big way here, you would quickly see any concern for that reputation dissolve and we would just go all out. No one is dumb enough to trigger us into total war. All this being said, I am against murder and never desire war.

I wouldn't be too sure if I were you. It nearly happened once.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/7878422/Richard-Nixon-planned-nuclear-strike-on-North-Korea.html

wth how is it ridiculous?

WW3 is more likely to be played out online. And if NK really wants to screw up the West they're better off shooting satellites out of the sky and create a big chain reaction up there. We would be fucked.

I checked the date this morning and I'm pretty sure it said 2017 and not 1917.

As for the real topic, who knows what North Korea will do. They are no real threat to the U.S. of course, but they could do an awful lot of damage to South Korea and Japan. Not WW3 exactly but great potential for loss of life (mostly due to some kind of biological weapon attack rather than nuclear I would imagine). No one could tell you if they will actually do it though. 

Who would really be the major players in WW3 anyways? Media can't seem to decide if Russia is America's sworn enemy (again), or if Putin and Trump are BFFs. China doesn't exactly care about North Korea either aside from liking the fact that NK could cause some havoc for SK or Japan and by extension the U.S.  

I think some people like the dramatic. Even if US went to war with north korea, even if China got involved, i doubt it would be a world war. Alot more nations would have to get involved. I doubt China would go to war with the US over N Korea, because it would cost china when the US stops paying their loan interests.

The age of world wars is over. There would be zero benefit for any country involved. It's one of the many advantages of globalization. World trade between all nations makes sure that no one has to gain anything from great wars. Normally no country starts a war if it is clear that they are gonna lose big time.

Yes, it seems like a possibility. But we dodged the bullet many times before, so hopefuly we will do it once more.

Someone with some common sense, nice. 

This actual a big advantage of the world today, the global nature of it. The only two countries with really the resources to start and sustain a world war are US and China, and both their economies are linked, too many people (specifically rich people) would have too much to lose. 

It won't happen the way it did in the 1910s/20s/30s, you need to have economically delinked countries and rapid nationalism and primitive technology for that to happen again. 

Even the internet today links the world together in a way where such a conflict would be broadcast 24/7 and people would rapidly get fed up with all the violence and insist on things going back to "normal". 

I think it will turn out to be nothing. Tensions aren't that bad. NK is back down or it will be sanctioned by everyone and it will be back down anyway. Middle east will probably remain as it is.