Something I'm unsure about is what does and doesn't trigger wars. Russian jets downed a US drone over the black sea in March 2023, I thought for sure there'd be a commensurate US military response. But there didn't appear to be one. Was it because no human was aboard the drone (so no response was justified), from fear or escalation, or something else? In any case, if a large cargo ship were sunk, would the US or othe…
The US wants a war with Russia without putting boots on the ground. Ukraine was a convieinient excuse.
9/11 triggered a war with random middle eastern countries that the US wanted to invade anyway.
If Cuba downed a large cargo ship, then the US will have annexed it before midnight. If China downs one in South China sea, the US might keep it quiet because neither country wants a violent escalation into war just yet.
War is premeditated. The inciting event is just the excuse.