# What's the oldest current conflict in the world? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 18, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-current-conflict-in-the-world/593188 "2011-08-18T16:59:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-current-conflict-in-the-world/593188/41 "2011-08-22T15:02:34Z")
those who cheat at videogames by, for example, saving before opening a door or attacking a city o whatever, and those who play like men. Or, in other words, the saves vs the save nots… ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-current-conflict-in-the-world/593188/42 "2011-08-22T15:05:19Z")
Man Vs Woman. And we’re losing. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-current-conflict-in-the-world/593188/43 "2011-08-22T18:43:06Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > USA vs. Latin America, 1823-present. Interesting answer…I take it that’s the Monroe Doctrine you’re referring to. Most would see it as setting \*limits \*to conflict (“Europe, you can’t meddle here!”), but you see it (rightly so, to a point) as self-declared carte blanche to a long series of sometimes-violent interventions (“…but _we_ sure as hell can!”). ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-current-conflict-in-the-world/593188/44 "2011-08-22T19:49:18Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Aren’t Japn and Russia still technically at war as they never signed a peace treaty after WW 2? > > (Fair enough it was the Soviet Union at the time but no treaty was signed). This is technically true, though they did sign a [Joint Declaration](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet-Japanese_Joint_Declaration_of_1956) that normalized diplomatic & trade relations in 1956; so while it wouldn’t really be correct to say that they’re officially at peace, it’s probably more incorrect to say that they’re still at war. The stumbling block to a permanent treaty, then as now, is who gets sovereignty over the Kuril Islands. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-current-conflict-in-the-world/593188/45 "2011-08-22T20:24:33Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > We’ve always been at war with Eastasia No, we haven’t! Report to Miniluv at once, citizen. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-current-conflict-in-the-world/593188/46 "2011-08-22T20:33:24Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Interesting answer…I take it that’s the Monroe Doctrine you’re referring to. Most would see it as setting \*limits \*to conflict (“Europe, you can’t meddle here!”), but you see it (rightly so, to a point) as self-declared carte blanche to a long series of sometimes-violent interventions (“…but _we_ sure as hell can!”). America (the continent) for the Americans(the citizens of one country), that’s how it is seen be many down here. ---
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-current-conflict-in-the-world/593188/47 "2011-08-22T20:48:59Z")
> [@Voluble](#): > > Islam has been at war with the rest of the world since its founding. Indeed the part of the world not under Muslim control is referred to as Dar al-Harb or the “house of war.” Since that comes from some medieval Islamic scholar and not any Islamic scripture, and is rejected by most Muslims today, it is analogous to saying that the following, written by Martin Luther, is Christian doctrine regarding the treatment of Jews: "First to set fire to their synagogues or schools and to bury and cover with dirt whatever will not burn, so that no man will ever again see a stone or cinder of them… "Second, I advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed… "Third, I advise that all their prayer books and Talmudic writings, in which such idolatry, lies, cursing and blasphemy are taught, be taken from them… "Fourth, I advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach henceforth on pain of loss of life and limb… "Fifth, I advise that safeconduct on the highways be abolished completely for the [Jews](http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/jews.html). For they have no business in the countryside, since they are not lords, officials, tradesmen, or the like. Let they stay at home… "Sixth, I advise that usury be prohibited to them, and that all cash and treasure of silver and gold be taken from them and put aside for safekeeping… …“Burn down their synagogues, forbid all that I enumerated earlier, force them to work, and deal harshly with them … If this does not help we must drive them out like mad dogs, so that we do not become partakers of their abominable blasphemy and all their other vices and thus merit God’s wrath and be damned with them. I have done my duty. Now let everyone see to his. I am exonerated.” > **[Martin Luther - "The Jews & Their Lies"](https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/martin-luther-quot-the-jews-and-their-lies-quot)** > > Encyclopedia of Jewish and Israeli history, politics and culture, with biographies, statistics, articles and documents on topics from anti-Semitism to Zionism. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-current-conflict-in-the-world/593188/48 "2011-08-22T20:53:06Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > America (the continent) for the Americans(the citizens of one country), that’s how it is seen be many down here. Fascinating. I know this is true among many in Mexico and Guatemala (understandably, especially in the latter), but I’m a bit surprised to hear you suggest it is pervasive (or at least common) way down in Argentina. I hope you’d agree that in every Latin American country which has faced economic and other challenges (meaning every one of them, except perhaps, in recent times, Chile), that country’s government has sometimes used\*\* “blame the gringo” as a catch-all excuse\*\*, even when it wasn’t particularly warranted. (And I say this as a liberal gringo who despises all the crap that my government had perpetrated on most Latin American countries). But we’re straying off-topic…sorry about that. ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-current-conflict-in-the-world/593188/49 "2011-08-23T14:23:05Z")
Amongst countries technically still at war, I believe you may have to add the crown dependency (but not part of the United Kingdom) of the Isle of Man which is still at war with Germany due to the declaration of war including them but the peace treaty not. You can delete any reference to Berwick-upon-Tweed being still at war with Russia however (since Crimea 1853) as an UM - due to the Wales and Berwick Act 1746 removing the need to name them in treaties involving the United Kingdom. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-current-conflict-in-the-world/593188/50 "2011-08-23T14:47:55Z")
The PRC/ROC thing (AKA China and Taiwan) is… kind of a weird issue. For one thing, neither side is willing to admit that there are even two countries involved, and at the same time, both sides seem to be relatively friendly towards each other as of late (a quick Google shows that they have four regularly scheduled commercial flights a day between Taipei and Beijing) The Korean conflict is also kind of weird, but more clear on the “conflict” part than China. The last time anyone was killed in that conflict was… last year. Basically a low-intensity-long-simmer kind of standoff between the two. Of course, the answer to the question is the Texas Aggies versus the students of that other college up in Austin. That conflict has been going on since the 7th Day or so. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-current-conflict-in-the-world/593188.md?page=2)