It's sort of like a pre-emptive exaggeration. It's definitely possible WWIII starts with this. Ukraine, Trade War, Iran, then Taiwan and India-Pakistan. There is a non-zero chance it will escalate without stopping.
But by making fun of this "hysterical overreaction" now you prevent any serious anti-war opposition from gaining ground. At least that is what the psychological effect of this is: calming down the libs.