Who Would Win World War III?

We stand on a precipice. On one side: total annihilation of humankind through nuclear fire. On the other: the total annihilation of humankind through a drawn-out war of attrition, culminating in a mechanised Statue of Liberty riding Shergar into the heart of the New Old Empire of Franco Azerbaij-China. Ninety-nine percent of the world will be arid and nothing will grow. The Angel of Death will beat her black wings against Earth's tortured remains and dust will claim the sky before darkness claims the Angel herself.

When there's nothing left to die, death will die itself.

That's all roughly based on what that guy who played Civ II for ten years said, anyway. Three massive civilisations caught in perpetual, torrid conflict. Who will be the victor? Who will win World War III?

Ross, 18, barman: England. Would England start the war?
Probably, you know what we're like.

What countries would we attack?
We have a bone to pick with everyone, we would start off with Italy. It would be over the Pope. We would start the war by killing the pope?
Yeah. What other countries would be involved in our war over the Pope and football?
France, they like to stick their noses in, but if they did this time they would get them chopped off. If England brought in conscription would you join the armed forces or flee?
Flee. Where would you go?
France. Steve, 53, photographer: That’s a difficult question and it could create some controversy if I pick one nation. No one has thought twice about naming a country so far. Come on Steve, put the cat amongst the pigeons.
It’s a difficult question to answer, because you don’t know who’s got what. The way things are deployed – arms, weapons… What would the next war be fought over?
There are a lot of things, it’s hard to define it to one subject.

This is so boring, Steve.
There are so many things going on, natural resources, differences in ideology…

Seriously, Steve, I'm not talking to you any more. From left to right: Gary, 28, Abdul, 32, Alan, 54, Adrian, 52, all work in office removals. Which country will start the next World War?
Gary: The Yanks, because they're stupid. They're so thick they will accidently blow up their own country. Some people thought China would be the next country to start a war.
Abdul: They don’t have nuclear weapons though, the only two superpowers that have nuclear weapons are Russia and the USA.

Errr…
Alan: Yeah, even we don’t have nukes.
Adrian: Well we have nukes, but we don’t have satellites to launch them, they're under the control of the Americans. Trident is under the control of the Americans?
All: Yes.
Gary: Polaris was the last missile system we had full control over and that was in the 80s.

Wow.

Ron, 23, Big Issue seller: China.Who would they be fighting?
Russia and China tag team, fighting the USA. If you were captured by the Russians would you sell Britain out?
I’m from Estonia so I know Russia very well. Those cold bastards… of course I would. Michael, 27, unemployed (left) and Kesha, 26, engineer. Kesha: England.
Michael: America, probably. What would be the reason for the next war?
Both: Oil. So America would attack any country that has oil?
Michael: Isn’t that what they’re doing now? Oh yeah!
Kesha: If there was another World War I imagine they would up the ante a bit, maybe a bit of nuclear weapons, chemical warfare would be interesting too. Would you betray your country?
Michael: If I had a gun pointed at my head, of course I would How can we stop having wars?
Kesha: Everyone needs to smoke weed. Previously - Are Working Class People Better in Bed?