"Nuclear Fears: Are We Forgetting Nuclear Dangers?" Topic

"Some Western observers have long been lamenting about what they perceive as a fading of nuclear fears among the broader population. In contrast to the generations that lived through Hiroshima or the Cuban Missile Crisis, they argue, the awareness of living under a nuclear Sword of Damocles has given way to "apathy." Even worse, in numerous polls about what people fear most, nuclear war has moved to the end of the list. As a result of this public disinterest, so the argument continues, mainstream security policy with its fixation on the "dogma" of nuclear deterrence remains unchallenged—a development that supposedly could make nuclear war more likely.

If this analysis were correct, it would indeed give cause for concern. Fortunately, however, it is widely off the mark. The intellectual failure of dealing with the nuclear reality is not one of the broader public's, but of the very critics for whom greater nuclear fears seem to equal greater political enlightenment. To be sure, the risks of nuclear deterrence are and will remain high, which is why any sensible security policy must never trivialize them.[2] However, a closer look reveals that much of the criticism of the supposed nuclear apathy of the Western populace is simply an expression of the critics' frustration about the lack of traction of their own anti-nuclear agenda. And that is just as well. For as the war between Russia and Ukraine demonstrates, a policy based on nuclear fears alone would render the West paralyzed and simply invite more states to challenge Western interests and values—increasing the prospects for war…."

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Armand

Dealing with 'crazy' in Russia means anything can happen.

All it is going to take is some nut job that thinks he can hide in his well-stocked bunker with his staff and model quality women to initiate a first strike. The kind of guy that clearly does not care about his people.

Sooner or later someone will set one off. Hopefully, it will only be one. Just as the Vietnam war was brought into the living room of America, so will this bring the horrors of the bomb into the homes of everyone on earth. Perhaps….

I think it is more likely that a terrorist group gets a hold of a nuke and sets it off.

Yes, we all remember the MAD concept and it is still in effect. But yes, the big fear is some jihadi terrorists get a hold of a nuke. And go on Nuclear jihad. It has been rumored UBL, etc. were trying to get a nuke(s) to kill the infidels. I think we'll never know for sure. But the rumor is we stopped them at least once from getting one ?

From the era of MAD we are liveing in the age of MADNESS

MUTUAL ASHORED DESTRUCTION NOLONGER ENSHORES STATE SERCURITY.

I'm guessing the residents of New York City may be a bit more aware, seeing as how last month their emergency management department sent out a PSA on what to do in the event of a radiological event, then a fortnight later posted a tweet about having a bug-out bag ready at all times.

MUTUAL ASHORED DESTRUCTION NOLONGER ENSHORES STATE SERCURITY.

Well, you don't have to use nukes to destroy a country today. E.g. it can and is happening with the USA today from within. By our elected & appointed leadership …

I.e. :

The CCP pretty much has free reign over much many aspects of the USA.

Top leadership making the US no longer energy independent based a poorly executed, planned, "dream" of Going Green. Before it can actually be done …

Opening the border to an invasion of illegal aliens that bring with them drugs, human trafficking, gangs, terrorists, etc.

Allowing Defunding of LEOs when it should be pushing Refunding LEOs.

"Dealing with 'crazy' in Russia means anything can happen."

I believe that part of Putin "act." I think if the people keeping him a float, get any since that he even dreaming of this, he toast.

"US no longer energy independent based a poorly executed, planned, "dream" of Going Green" I think you have things backwards, just look at the people saying this stuff and where there money come from.

Well … I'll stand by my comments. However, it generally comes down to $ …

And no matter how bad it gets … someone will be making a profit.

Leigon 4
I think in many ways were on the same page.
The same sort of thing is happening in the UK!
The wests Achilles heel is money why blow s**t up when you can simply buy it.
Same gos for people look at our current PM and 1 in 10 of the MP's of the Tory party.
Ofcorce we also have the class system in this country which is alive and well and keeps the majority of people in place.
Eg
if your whight and working class you're considered raceist an attitude perpetuated by the middle class, where the reality is most of the people who put a stop to fascist's (before anti rasceism was fashionble) were wight working class.
Or/and
Were constantly told to believe aspects of history that are untrue or at the very least twisted out of shape.
My post may seem of topic but it isn't
The point being that the nukeclear threat united people in a common enemy when the wall came down and western and eastern European youth met they found the means of population control were similar in many ways.
The wild card is fundimentist monotheistic religion and especially Islamist ideology which should not be mistaken for Islam although the former came from the later.
Sayyid Qutb first started to formulated his ideas which lead to Islamism at a Church dance during the 50's in America where the song bady its cold outside was played the very same song decades later was rerecorded with different lyrics to it more woke!
The world is getting more and more completed and most people rather than think prefer to have others think for them.
Welcome to the age of MADNESS.

I'm far less worried about nukes now, but it was a major worry back in the day at the height of the Cold War.

Ukraine and Europe could/should be worried about the use to tactical nukes though, but I see chem and bio weapons uses as more plausible (China already used the latter against the West, and Russia/Syria have used chemical weapons in Syria against their opponents).

Apparently, energy rates in the EU are expected to increase 1,000% this Winter, which is going to be really interesting for those living there. Economic warfare is a real thing too.

Supposedly, Russia and China are working very hard against the USA to remove the US Dollar as the world's reserve currency, so that will be very interesting too, to see how that plays out.

I'm much more worried about an EMP from the Norks, Chinese, Russians, or Iranians, who ALL presumably have the capability to launch one or more over the USA to disable our extremely fragile electrical grid. If that occurs, tens of millions of US citizens will die.

Of course, hackers doing the same thing is a real concern too.

Sadly, despited the full knowledge of this for the last 20 – 30+ years, our "leaders" have done NOTHING to address the situation, or to improve and harden our electrical grid.

I think in many ways were on the same page.

Yes I think you may be right.

The same sort of thing is happening in the UK!

Yes and we thought COVID travelled fast !

Welcome to the age of MADNESS.

Yep Full Tilt Bozo !!! Like Bizzaro World from the old Superman Comics. Way before he came out of the closet last year … link

Yep madness ..