Phase 1:
>China suffers some kind of serious economic shock.
The CCP bases it's power off endless rapid growth. Most Chinese are 996 wageslaves in microapartments making $1 an hour, they support the system because it promises a better future, with that gone the CCP will have to depend on raw nationalism. And rally behind "reunifying all of China" jingoism.
>Therefore China focuses on Taiwan
CCP will try to take Taiwan via a bloodless blockade since it wants it's cake without disturbing the internatinoal order.
>There is desperate scramble for peace talks
>US/EU/UK/Japan immediately sanction China
China interprets sanctions as bullying and doubles down.
>Markets enter a -30% recession
Toilet paper sells out, preppers hid in bunkers, there are bank runs, people get into fights over canned beans
>The peacenik left start anti-wars protesting across western cities. Actor/pop-stars sing "give peace a chance". Feminists strip naked and scream with blowhorns, activists block traffic.
>Reddit blames "late stage capitalism", dems blame reps, reps blame dems, /pol/ makes obnoxious memes, Youtubers endlessly speculate.
>the US mobilizes multiple carrier fleets
cont....