Can "Mutual Assured (nuclear) Destruction" MAD still happen today?

[AndyF]

JimG:

While a nuclear strike against the U.S. would be devastating, it is not likely that it would result in anything like 40% or 50% or higher destructio, esepcially if engaged in by terrorists.

The immediate effects of it are only the beginning. Radiation would kill for decades in the form of various cancers, various chronic ailments and deforming births. Agricultural soil could no longer be used. The pristine landscape around Chernobyl was beautiful, but every bit of it was contaminated. The Ukraine used to be the bread basket of the USSR.

It is believed a pound of Cesium 137 allowed to be scattered in the air of downtown Manhattan would make it unhabitable for decades. Cleanup would be in the billions, displacing thousands to other areas. It is estimated 5 tons of the stuff worldwide is not accountable, and that’s not counting sources from discarded domestic xray intruments and the like.(PBS program 2005)

The only thing preventing that happening is the success of Homeland Security and the fact that the stuff has a habit of killing whoever carries it. Once the terrorists find a method giving them enough time to deliver it then we’re in trouble. With so many willing to commit suicide I can’t see that as a real problem.

I think the missle scenerio is unlikely. The wars will be fought in slow contaminating attacks by those who could get through the system, and that’s not difficult as only 2% of the nations imports can ever be checked. It is very unlikely we’ll see an all out conventional war. These days what’s “in” is insurgency, because the enemy doesn’t have the military infrastructure for a nuclear arsenal or conventional army. But it has funding, and someone is always there to make a quick buck, and the stuff is scattered all through Russia and eastern block countries.

Not a very happy prospect for out grandkids.

AndyF

 

[vern_humphrey]

The effects of a nuclear attack on the United States would be incalculable.

The physical and economic damage would be great. And as you say, the lingering effects would be staggering.

Consider also the psychological effect. To undestand it, look at Christianity. The persecution never killed more than one percent of Christians living at any one time (and that’s probably a huge overestmate.) And yet almost two thousand years later, we still remember it and pray for the martyers who died. Persecution left an indellible mark on Christianity.

What would a nuclear attack do to us? Right now, thankfully, the majority of Americans understand we are not under attack from Islam, only from fringe groups who pervert Islam to “justify” their acts. Could we still maintain that balanced and Christian viewpoint if one or two of our major cities were destroyed, tens of million of people killed, millions more condemned to die of cancer and other radiation-related illnesses? Could we drive past what used to be fruitful land and thriving towns, see them lying in ruins and contaminated for millinia and still maintain our balanced outlook?

Or would we be screaming for revenge, on all Muslims?

 

[brotherhrolf]

I have a very personal view of this. I was eleven in October of 1962 during the Cuban missle crisis. I was attending a Catholic grade school in a suburb of New Orleans. We had to bring a blanket, two gallons of water, and two cans of Nutrical (don’t even know if this is made today) to our school. The school buses were there all during the day ready to evacuate us - we were far enough out from the CBD of NO and were expected to survive. We had duck and cover drills on a daily basis. There was a railroad between school and the church and trains passed by carrying tanks and artillery from Ft. Polk in western Louisiana heading down to Florida day after day. I was old enough to be able to understand what was going on and can remember in my mind’s eye President Kennedy on TV showing those U-2 photos of Cuba. I was scared to death.

We stepped right up to the chasm. Kennedy and Krushjev both blinked. I had nightmares for years whenever I heard sirens of any type. MAD, however, worked. If some terrorist obtains a nuclear device and destroys an American city, I will withold judgment until I see the reaction of the Muslim street. Given what I saw after September 11, 2001, I suspect I know what that reaction will be. My only reaction would be to quote Shakespeare “Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!”. We could not allow the destruction of an American city without some kind of extremely forceful consequence. I would hope otherwise but I don’t think we are dealing with rational beings.

 

[vern_humphrey]

I have a very personal view of this. I was eleven in October of 1962 during the Cuban missle crisis. I was attending a Catholic grade school in a suburb of New Orleans. We had to bring a blanket, two gallons of water, and two cans of Nutrical (don’t even know if this is made today) to our school. The school buses were there all during the day ready to evacuate us - we were far enough out from the CBD of NO and were expected to survive. We had duck and cover drills on a daily basis. There was a railroad between school and the church and trains passed by carrying tanks and artillery from Ft. Polk in western Louisiana heading down to Florida day after day. I was old enough to be able to understand what was going on and can remember in my mind’s eye President Kennedy on TV showing those U-2 photos of Cuba. I was scared to death.

We stepped right up to the chasm. Kennedy and Krushjev both blinked. I had nightmares for years whenever I heard sirens of any type. MAD, however, worked. If some terrorist obtains a nuclear device and destroys an American city, I will withold judgment until I see the reaction of the Muslim street. Given what I saw after September 11, 2001, I suspect I know what that reaction will be. My only reaction would be to quote Shakespeare “Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!”. We could not allow the destruction of an American city without some kind of extremely forceful consequence. I would hope otherwise but I don’t think we are dealing with rational beings.

For those not familiar with the phrase, “Cry havoc” means to kill everyone – take no prisoners.

The historian Carlisle, describing the start of the Seven Years War (the war we call the French and Indian War) said, “Thus it was that a shot fired in the woods of North America was heard around the world.”

A nuclear attack on the United States would multiply that millions of times.

 

[AndyF]

The effects of a nuclear attack on the United States would be incalculable.

The physical and economic damage would be great. And as you say, the lingering effects would be staggering.

Consider also the psychological effect. To undestand it, look at Christianity. The persecution never killed more than one percent of Christians living at any one time (and that’s probably a huge overestmate.) And yet almost two thousand years later, we still remember it and pray for the martyers who died. Persecution left an indellible mark on Christianity.

What would a nuclear attack do to us? Right now, thankfully, the majority of Americans understand we are not under attack from Islam, only from fringe groups who pervert Islam to “justify” their acts. Could we still maintain that balanced and Christian viewpoint if one or two of our major cities were destroyed, tens of million of people killed, millions more condemned to die of cancer and other radiation-related illnesses? Could we drive past what used to be fruitful land and thriving towns, see them lying in ruins and contaminated for millinia and still maintain our balanced outlook?

Or would we be screaming for revenge, on all Muslims?

Very True.

AndyF