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We may be able to jam Russia’s ICBM’s but what would happen if they sent as many subs as they could toward mainland and launched a strike from under water say a hundred miles or so from shore… would we have enough time to counter something like that?
And whose to say they aren't already here in warehouses, having been shipped in container cargo years ago?
Regarding the danger of one side fearing they could lose the war....
One of the things we discovered in the90s--after the fall of the Soviet Union--was that during the early 80s, the Soviets had determined that they had lost the Cold War. That is, they determined that the US held the "correlation of forces" to launch a nuclear war and suffer what they would consider "acceptable losses." It has to be understood that in their minds, Americans were the villains, and they were the potential victims.
Yuri Andropov, we learned to our surprise, was absolutely convinced in his own mind that Ronald Reagan intended to launch that war. As we thought back on his rhetoric during those days, it seemed obvious in hindsight. But at the time, as we played our various provocative shenanigans, we never realized how edgy the Soviets were.
The incident surrounding Exercise ABLE ARCHER 83 gave us a scary indication...scary enough to make President Reagan back off and moderate his rhetoric. He himself wrote that he had not before understood that the Soviets considered him the bad guy.
I was working in the Underground Command Post at SAC Hq at the time, and we were scared spitless for four days.
yanno, funny you should mention that ...i my career, completely unconnected to nukes and the use thereof..I had occasion to listen to the inner circles of the pentagram and NSA...there are a *lot* of brass in the USA that were adamant we should launch and just get it over with. ESPECIALLY in the late 80's. The fact that this talk occurs at the lunch table, water cooler or steakhouse shows, the thought process is there. Russians, have in their DNA the concept of defense. It is only a relatively new concept that obstruction to offense, equates to adopt defensive posture. listen to what putin and the defense minister ACTUALLY said. they did in fact quote verbatim doctrine in place all my life - a failed objective greenlights a defensive response.
I do understand the concept of the threat as a deterrent. But if the threat didn't keep Putin from pushing the button then it failed and what purpose is left to retaliate? We're toast already. Leave it to the other nations to respond.
I'm not advocating for either scenario.....just thinking out loud.
And I get what you are saying, but in order for the threat to provide the maximum effectiveness, your question can't even be entertained. You don't want a guy like Putin entertaining thoughts of us not nuking them back. Full on retaliation is the policy, and that is what is going to happen. Period.
there would be horrific suffering if we didnt launch ours in retaliation, thats why 'MAD' is in place, its actually to prevent suffering on a mass scale.
Plus, if a country gets hit with a nuke, and they do not launch their own, it makes that country seem weak. With nuclear war, its a whole other ball game, Just one nuke hitting anywhere in the US, would spell the end of the entire country.
The question posed was IF they launched a first strike, would we respond and end the world or not respond and hope the world without us would survive. Obviously, IF a first strike was launched then MAD has failed as we would be past the point of deterrence and there is going to be horrific suffering, the only question remains is if the suffering will be incurred by both sides.
I think it depends on whether or not we have set up NORAD to automatically respond or not because if we need Biden to make a decision we will all be destroyed before he understands what is happening.
And I get what you are saying, but in order for the threat to provide the maximum effectiveness, your question can't even be entertained. You don't want a guy like Putin entertaining thoughts of us not nuking them back. Full on retaliation is the policy, and that is what is going to happen. Period.
Oh yes, if Russia launched first, the US would have no choice but to launch their own. It would look very weak on the global scene if the US didnt respond in kind.
The question posed was IF they launched a first strike, would we respond and end the world or not respond and hope the world without us would survive. Obviously, IF a first strike was launched then MAD has failed as we would be past the point of deterrence and there is going to be horrific suffering, the only question remains is if the suffering will be incurred by both sides.
I think it depends on whether or not we have set up NORAD to automatically respond or not because if we need Biden to make a decision we will all be destroyed before he understands what is happening.
Well...don't presume the US system does not have the equivalent of a "deadman's switch."
If the Russians were smart about it and hoped for that resolution, they'd make sure not to nuke DC.
Oh yes, if Russia launched first, the US would have no choice but to launch their own. It would look very weak on the global scene if the US didnt respond in kind.
Look weak or everyone dead. I wonder which is worse.
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