How would WW111 manifest itself?

[abaris]

I'm rather confused as to how so many countries can be bombing the shit out of them without being able to wipe them out, or at least thin them right down.

First, this is not a world war. And secondly, bombing raids, if they happen to blow gran to smitherins, are a sure way to multiply the number of enemies. And that happens quite a lot, if you don't look at the propaganda of precision but at other sources.

Yeah this is essentially a World War, but it's not countries vs countries. It's countries vs idealogy. This is even more dangerous because how do you eradicate an idealogy?

Well, first, by not calling it a war and treating it as such. Serious experts around the world say, the best way to thin out ISIS is to make sure, they can't expand. They're parasites living off the land they occupy, which is also their main source of income. If that dries out, their followship dries out, since the can no longer be fed, armed and clothed.

By moving in, you risk a lot of civilian casualties, basically making the case for the ideology instead of fighting it.