I don't think starting WW lll over an errant missile is prudent.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Carry on...

[jimfields33]

1. You certainly got that right!

Hopefully they’ll just think hard about it before taking any action. There’s ways to defend some thing without going too far.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. Russia didn't go to war with Turkey when it accidentally shot down one of their fighter planes.

Back in the day the Israelis shot down two Russian fighter planes in dogfights. Russia didn't attack them.

[GenXer47]

2. Poles who suffered behind the iron curtain

may feel differently, maybe not WWIII but some sort of retaliation. If Poland bombs the missile launchers, fair and square, then it's Putin who must choose to start WWIII, or not. And he can carry on.

[ck4829]

3. It isn't but nothing is prudent about this situation

That "errant missile" was one of scores fired at Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure, Russia was firing missiles blindly and recklessly like out of a cartoon and innocent people outside of the conflict were killed because of it.

WW III? No. Consequences? Yes.

[uponit7771]

23. +1, Russia was in the middle of committing war crimes and doesn't deserve BoD.

[tritsofme]

6. I'm flabbergasted by some of these posts. Who is crazy enough to be eager to witness WWIII?

This isn’t Monday Night Football, folks.

[Mad_Machine76]

7. It's not

and I'm glad the grown-ups are in charge.

[sarisataka]

8. Oh c'mon

What's the worst that can happen? You're not afraid of a few rads, are you?

I find it strange to realize I can remember when DU was against war.

And before anyone starts talking about WW2, consider WW1. The death of one man began a war that killed up to 22 million people. Also it directly set events in motion that led to WW2.

What if the European countries didn't react to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand with declarations of war?

[Gore1FL]

14. You are thinking WW I

WW II started with the Japanese invasion of China.

[sarisataka]

15. Whoops, deleted the reference by accident

[FrankTC]

9. If I Were a Polish Citizen

I’d want to know where is our missile defense system. There should be an Iron-Dome-like system defending not just the cities but also the towns and villages and countryside. If it happens to overreact and knock down Russian missiles headed toward Ukraine, oh well, fog of war, etc. Why isn’t this already under construction? Surely the Poles remember life under the Soviets.

[BlackSkimmer]

12. Didn't Reagan suggest something of that sort?

Seem to remember something.

[FrankTC]

16. iron Dome vs. Star Wars

Reagan proposed a defense against ICBMs. And maybe we’re working on it. As fas as I know, progress has been slow (or nonexistent). On the other hand, Israel’s Iron Dome system seems pretty effective (not 100%) against shorter range missiles that don’t go way high (i.e., aren’t ballistic intercontinental types). At least that’s what I read in the layman press.

[Wounded Bear]

10. Certainly need to slow walk this and determine exactly what happened...

before we start launching back at Russia.

[Irish_Dem]

19. No matter what happened, Russia is responsible.

If Russia had not invaded Ukraine, there would be no missiles flying anywhere.

[uponit7771]

20. +1,

[Wounded Bear]

21. I don't disagree, but launching WWIII is not an answer either...nt

[Irish_Dem]

25. I didn't posit a consequence. I just assigned responsibility.

If Europe wants a war raging next door and killing their own citizens, that is their choice.

[Happy Hoosier]

26. People need to calm the fuck down.

No one is gonna launch major attacks on Russia. OTOH, more aggressive air defense is certainly called for. Tell the Russians they blew it and now any of their shit that flies in Western Ukraine gets blowed up.

[BlackSkimmer]

11. Rec.

100%.

[Scrivener7]

13. True.

[Model35mech]

17. IMO starting WWIII over a dust explosion would be worse.

That there was an explosion is not in doubt.

But what exploded?

Grain dust can be explosive.

[uponit7771]

18. "over an errant missile " ... that's giving Putler et al too much BoD, still not worth WWIII

[Happy Hoosier]

22. We won't. No need for the hand-wringing.

I think the most likely outcome is more air defense assistance. I’d personally like to see NATO air defense units right on the border and declare they will engage any Russian target within an exclusion zone in the west of Ukraine.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

24. Not for the first time, I'm deeply grateful that Joseph Biden is tending the helm of state.

[DemocraticPatriot]

34. .... instead of some of the posters on this site today.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

42. +100. nt

[Irish_Dem]

27. War is messy. Europeans may get killed.

As this war continues that possibility increases.

Europe can help Ukraine more and stop the war quicker.
Or let their citizens be killed.

Their choice.

[Xolodno]

28. Add to that, they are still investigating.

Zelensky is making the claim. Poland and NATO have yet to confirm if was Russian, Ukrainian, a dust explosion, etc. On top of that, if it is a missile or rocket, most likely errant.

Plus a NATO nation has fired on and brought down a Russian bomber during the Syrian civil war. And Russia expressed outrage but didn't retaliate. This is not worth killing millions on three continents for.

[Happy Hoosier]

29. There is a chance it was errant defense missile.

Some suggestion that some remains of an S-300 missile found at the site. If so, it’s likely an errant defensive missile. The Russians have used S-300 for land attack, but I don’t think they have that kind of range.

[Sancho]

31. it was a cruise missile...

[Chuuku Davis]

39. Yes-Kh-101 cruise missiles

Otherwise known as a Kaliber.
Fired from a strategic bomber.
They have a 1000 lb warhead which is why they blow those big assed craters.

[Sancho]

30. no..but giving Ukraine 50 jets and some long range missiles and some defense systems seems ok...

...as a moderate response.

[ruet]

32. And If It Turns Out To Be An "Errant Missile" It Won't.

If, however, it wasn't it cannot be allowed to go unanswered. NATO will have a pretty good idea of what actually transpired within 24 hours.

[Chuuku Davis]

40. Actually within 30 seconds

Or sooner.

[Zeitghost]

33. Indeed

Who knew there were so many hawks on the left. Another paradigm shift brought to us by Trump who's Russia/Putin connections fuel most of this.

The most important thing in keeping human civilization alive is that Russia and the US do not engage in a direct shooting war. And so many seem to be itching to do just that.

[NewsCenter28]

35. DSB, you are SO right-also this is CLEARLY a Trump-Putin provocation

We know Putin is Trump's campaign manager. Putin probably did this to coincide with Trump's announcement to try to bait President Biden into doing something that, at the very least, would tip the global economy into recession, and help out his servant's campaign. The best thing for President Biden to do here is NOT take the bait, and turn the other cheek. It is so transparently a Trump-Putin ploy.

I would hope that nothing happens but a diplomatic statement of condemnation from this. Also, Putin would never invade/attack a member of NATO.

[Calculating]

36. Ww3 no? Give Ukraine atacms, yes!

..

[DemocraticPatriot]

37. I'm with you! so I'm KICKING this later at night...

All you posters screaming for instant retaliation against Russia earlier today (even though the errant munitions might not have come from Russia), I'm just wondering...

What was your position on our attacks on Iraq in early 2003-- the beginning of the Iraq war?
Were you waving the flags for Bush Jr.'s attacks?

If you were, than it all makes perfect sense-- except for the fact that there was little risk of global nuclear conflict from our actions at the time...

But you still need to take a goddamn pill, or have a few drinks-- first thing in the morning, since those of you who are old are now obviously asleep, and those of you who are young are out running somewhere else, doing what you do..

[USALiberal]

38. People posting no information about what You're talking about is prudent!!!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

41. Do

Do you or do you not find your post incongruous in light of the fact that every other poster in this thread was able to divine what I was alluding to? Thank you in advance

[USALiberal]

46. Well.....

Over 900 people read your post, about 50 replied. I assume a lot of them had no idea what your initial post was. All you had to do is put a paragraph in covering what the post was about.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

47. Fair enough

[USALiberal]

48. Here is what you could of added....

Errant Ukrainian missile likely the cause of explosion that killed 2 civilians: Polish president

The errant missile that inadvertently crossed into Polish territory and killed two civilians on Tuesday was likely fired by Ukrainian air defenses and was not an intentional Russian attack, top Polish and NATO officials said today, ratcheting down tensions between NATO and Russia that some observers feared could escalate into all-out war.

https://breakingdefense.com/2022/11/errant-ukrainian-missile-likely-the-cause-of-explosion-that-killed-2-civilians-polish-president/?amp=1

[USALiberal]

50. And after reading my post again, I should've been nicer....

I should have replied much better.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

51. I'm just glad it was likely a Ukrainian missile.

[USALiberal]

52. Me too! What a mess! Nt

[Just A Box Of Rain]

43. Turns out to have been a UKR S-300 missile that was fired in self-defense

as I suggested as a strong possibility yesterday based on the initial analysis of the debris by the (pro-Ukrainian) Ukraine Weapons Tracker.

Glad we didn't start WWIII.

It's a little scary that some are so trigger-happy.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

44. That is a relief. It shows Putin while evil isn't mad.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

49. Hitting a field just inside Poland with intent never made strategic sense to me.

Putin is not proving to be a "strategic genus" but even with a very low bar, an "intentional attack" hypothesis did not seem likely.

I'm strongly in favor of having the alliance supply Ukraine with all the support they need to defeat Putin, but I join you in not relishing the idea of sparking WWIII and/or a nuclear conflagration.

[David__77]

53. I appreciate that Biden won't be triggered by provocations.

He has firmly committed to non-intervention from the start.

[Torchlight]

54. As it regards the conflict in Ukraine,

I've been confident since April that western leadership will coolly assess any actions, and only then act in an appropriate, measured and calculated fashion.

I'd guessed it was a Russian misfire. Others guessed it was deliberate. Still others guessed correctly. I'm holding onto the belief that the defense staffs follow a more prudent and calculated line of effect-response-consequence.

Even though my best guesses are entirely ineffectual, if I took puffed-up credit for guessing heads correctly or a jejune pout that others guessed tails wrong, I'd be forced to admit to a degree of pettiness (only in my case).

[MineralMan]

55. Fortunately, Internet posters don't get to decide

when we go to war over something.