We are still having Proxy wars similar to the Cold War today

The Cold War was so named because the two major powers—each possessing nuclear weapons and thereby threatened with mutual assured destruction—never met in direct military combat. Instead, in their struggle for global influence they engaged in ongoing psychological warfare and in regular indirect confrontations through proxy wars. Cycles of relative calm would be followed by high tension, which could have led to world war.
end partial quote from:

1. Cold War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

   en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_WarCached

   The Cold War was a state of political and military tension after World War II between powers in the Western Bloc (the United States, its NATO allies and others) and ...

   
   

   
   

   Today's proxy wars are Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Ukraine.

   
   

   These are the major ones we are dealing with today. 

   
   

   In Syria we have Iran, Assad, Russia fighting (almost all Sunni nations and the western world) both indirectly and directly in some ways.

   
   

   Iraq: In Iraq this is primarily caused by Assad in Syria and the Maliki Government in Iraq. Assad and Maliki created by their actions ISIS. So, in Iraq and Syria are ISIS which is directly caused by Russia, Iran, Assad and Maliki.

   
   

   Yemen is caused by the Houthis who are armed by Iran directly. Saudi Arabia cannot have Iranian armed Houthis running Yemen and so will do anything including it appears nuking with Neutron bombs the Houthis.

   
   

   If Assad falls hopefully this will take the steam out of ISIS over time. If not, Lebanon will be next when ISIS goes into Lebanon to chase Hezbollah which is Shia to try to wipe them out along with all Shias and Christians they find in Lebanon.

   
   

   So, the basis of these proxy wars is psychological warfare not actual warfare. This is why ISIS is so very dangerous when it put videos of beheadings, battles, murders and rapes or whatever on Youtube and other video media outlets on the Internet worldwide.  

   
   

   ISIS does this to engage Sunnis who are moved by this to come fight and kill themselves in battle who have the belief that they can die and go to heaven during the present Armageddon that they believe is happening right now in the middle east.

   
   

   So, in understanding that all these battles are at core a type of psychological warfare between Russia and the Western World, between Iran and the Sunni governments of the middle east and throughout the world, will help people to better understand what is actually going on. It is like  magical slight of hand of a magician or something. What appears to be happening on the surface is not really what is actually going on at all.

   
   

   This is just the Cold War in a way all over again middle east style.
   
   Whereas Ukraine is more about the Russian puppet dictator there being overthrown and someone they didn't like taking his place.
   
   Also, Crimea was partly taken by Russia because they realized they might lose their only warm water port which was in Syria eventually. Also, Crimea was taken to supply their people in Syria. Also, Eastern Ukraine is used as a trucking supply line to Crimea to use the seaport there for various Russian purposes.