WWIII didn't start today with the attacks on Lebanon, nor did it start on 9/11. It is in progress, though. It began with a whimper, not a bang, and is a direct result of U.S. foreign and domestic policy choices since the end of the Cold War.
We have known about an impending worldwide energy crisis for about 30 years and have accomplished little to lessen our dependence on foreign oil or to lessen our unsustainable consumption of it. Now, as we reach the inevitable peak in worldwide oil production, it is becoming clearer to the average American that our "way of life" and the relative peace that we have had for decades has required an imperialist foreign policy to control worldwide energy resources and to knock out any possible resistance to greedy U.S. policies.
The average person may know this on some level, but many people still have the mindset predicted in the 1976 film "Three Days of the Condor." At the end of that motion picture, Robert Redford questions how the American public would respond to the energy shortages of the future and a theoretical pre-emptive invasion of the Middle East. The conclusion reached is that most people wouldn't be asking questions and wouldn't want to hear answers - as long as they were fed and their lifestyles didn't have to change too much.
Sooner or later, maintaining our lifestyle and the morality of our motives will no longer be the main issues, as forced sacrifice will be the new game. An authoritarian government, a police state on the streets, rolling blackouts across the country, widespread rioting in dangerous cities, and a media controlled entirely by the government - this is what we might expect in the relatively short term (10-20 years).
Should we be scared? Yes and no. The problems are real, and fear for our way of life and loved ones is an appropriate and natural response. However, fear is also the tool that those in power use to control the masses. Without our fear, they would have no power over us. We should strive to understand our predicament, rather than to fear it. We must be prepared to accept change and sacrifice when it comes to our energy usage. At the same time, we must remain vigilant when we are asked to change and sacrifice civil liberties and freedoms along the way.
The first step towards the truth and answers is to question everything - from what you read day to day in the mainstream newspapers to the official "histories" of current events such as 9/11. Research as much as you can, while you still can - the Internet and freedom of the press are going to be two unexpected casualties in this resource war that will not end in our lifetimes.