When would it be over? A sneak attack that is ...

[Jimbuna]

I'm starting to get the heebie geebies reading these last two posts

[DeepIron]

"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." ~ Albert EInstein

Not sure how long an all out nukefest would last, maybe days, maybe weeks. Most likely not months though. Kinda depends whose nuking who and is the other guy nuking back.

And generally about nukes, I know everyone is supposed to fear nukes etc. and that they are a kind of joker up the sleeve that some countries have. However lately I've started to think that most of the countries with the nuclear weapons might actually be more or less bluffing. They would not know what exactly would happen if they pushed those buttons. Maybe the missiles would blow up in their silos, who knows. The other guy might be able to shoot them down. Or the missiles wouldn't be that powerful in the end, the effects could be much more limited then they think etc.

Thing is, the so called balance of terror that nukes are supposed to bring is slowly beginning to erode. People are less and less afraid of them all the time. Hiroshima and Nagasaki happened a long time ago, or so people think. A country gets nukes and says "we will use them", eventually someone will say "well go ahead then". Also, under the guise of nukes being the ultimate weapon it makes the conventional weapons look tame and make their use more acceptable. 'Small, nuke-free wars' might take place more easily.

So I guess I'm saying that although nukes are supposed to bring a kind of sense of peace to the world their influence might actually be the opposite, they erode peoples desire for peace and make small conflicts more common etc. Total disarmament might be the key but so far no dice in that department.

[DeepIron]

Thing is, the so called balance of terror that nukes are supposed to bring is slowly beginning to erode. People are less and less afraid of them all the time.

Well, I guess when one has lived under the threat of nuclear annihilation all their lives, the fear wears off somewhat...

What is scarier to me, is not nuclear war, it's a biological war...

[geetrue]

Scares me too Deep Iron ... a threat from countries that have no airforce or nuclear navy or ICBM's I would think is the real threat from chemical/biological weapons.

USA and Russia both have these horrible weapons to be used for tactical use for the front lines when they are in danger of being run over, plus physiological warfare.

I have no way of knowing if warheads with these horrible weapons against mankind are already loaded and ready to go at a moments notice.

That's where my concerns come from. Would the USA use chemical/biological weapons if the enemy didn't use them first?

What if the nuclear sneak attack came first with a warning over the hot line that they will use chemical/biological weapons next if America doesn't lay down their arms?

I'm not talking John Wayne talk here, but practical talk ... it's not up to us anyway.

The call would be in the hands of the president or the vp with the latest information in his or her hands of cities and installations already destroyed.

I hope that day never comes, but if it does the commander in charge only has a few minutes to decide.
Fight on or stand down?

The deciscion is so great I think the powers that be in our country should make it ahead of time.
You don't even have to guess what Mr Putin would do if the USA struck first in a first strike ... Do you?


"If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out." – Will Rogers (1879-1935)

[Happy Times]

Putin isnt suicidal, he may have fantasies of being the new Peter the Great and some personality disorders, but im positive that starting a nuclear winter isnt a fantasy of his.

[geetrue]

Originally Posted by Happy Times

Putin isnt suicidal, he may have fantasies of being the new Peter the Great and some personality disorders, but im positive that starting a nuclear winter isnt a fantasy of his.

Suicidal is a crazy thought too, uh?

What about these crazy thoughts:

Some of these are over a year old, but take a look at the inside of a mad man (so to speak)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...st-Europe.html

President Vladimir Putin has sent a chilling message to world leaders on the eve of the GB summit with a threat to aim Russian nuclear missiles at European cities for the first time since the Cold War.
In comments that seemed calculated to cause consternation and division at Wednesday's meeting in Germany, the Russian leader said that American plans to erect a missile defence shield in Europe had left him with no choice but to retaliate.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ins-anger.html

Russia is fiercely opposed to the eastward expansion of Nato. George Bush backs NATO membership of Ukraine and Georgia despite Putin's anger

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl.../INJUV6IU3.DTL

It doesn't take much to rile Vladimir Putin, the irascible, autocratic Russian leader. But nothing the Bush administration has done in the last seven years has angered Putin more than the proposal to base anti-missile...

http://www.google.com/search?q=Putin...e7&rlz=1I7DKUS

Vladimir V. Putin transferred the customs service from the control of ... two of the senators now facing recall, causing Mr. Putin's anger. ...

[Happy Times]

Sure, his personality raises threats in certain situations. I would still consider Russian theories in geopolitics a bigger threat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Dugin

I think maybe Israel is a more likely candidate to use nukes than Russia. Hell, even the US might at one point think that rather then looking for volunteers it's cheaper to just nuke the Middle-East.

[Falkirion]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Ah DEFCON, Everybody dies. Great game.