Europe grapples with the real prospect of the Ukaine conflict expanding to a nuclear war.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/12/world/europe/ukraine-europe-nuclear-war-anxiety.html

The article references this Swedish Crisis/War Preparedness Manual for civilians:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4481608-Om-Krisen-Eller-Kriget-Kommer-Engelska.html#document/p1

I remember my parents shopping for a fallout shelter during the Cuban missile crisis.

I remember in the mid/late '70s learning where the Civil Defense fallout shelters were in our town.  The College my son attended in Chicago still has signs posted designating where they are on that campus.


https://dahp.wa.gov/sites/default/files/FamilyShelterDesigns.pdf


.

Growing up living on a first strike target has given me a salty view.  Depending on how old russia's maps are, I'm either still first strike, or not far from one.

A child of the Cold War here. Nuclear war toe to toe with the Ruskies is something that was taught to me from kindergarten on through high school.

Relax and read up on duck and cover drills.

Quote from: SCBrian on March 14, 2022, 05:14:27 PM
Growing up living on a first strike target has given me a salty view.  Depending on how old russia's maps are, I'm either still first strike, or not far from one.

You know I've wondered about about this also.  There's former ICBM launch complexes all around me. There's two within 7 miles with the closest 2 miles away.  Got to wonder if they have updated their target maps or even if they care. Might just target the former sites , just in case 

Step outside and look at the flash.

Quote from: Zed hunter on March 15, 2022, 09:19:52 AM
Step outside and look at the flash.

It's a fatalist viewpoint, but I mean you're not wrong.  At least I wont have to deal with the fall out of it... (pun intended.  kinda )
Back in the 80's and early 90's Charleston was one of the largest east coast hubs for the USN, including POMFLANT (Polaris Missile Facility, Atlantic)  and the Weapons station,etc. 
Now, POMFLANT is closed, though there are still weapons housed here, a number of smaller, critical commands (NNPTU, FLETC, etc) an air base and a large port.  Figure, we're good for at least an extra or the random "Hey Vlad - we have one left,  where to send?" .

A Russian MP publicity suggested nuking a Nevada nuclear test site. I guess area 51?
He said a single nuke would result in the US backing down and that it was a legit target with only 10,000 casualties.

Quote from: Raptor on March 15, 2022, 04:44:09 PM
A Russian MP publicity suggested nuking a Nevada nuclear test site. I guess area 51?
He said a single nuke would result in the US backing down and that it was a legit target with only 10,000 casualties.

Not that Russia has any kind of monopoly on idiotic legislators, but sometimes you just want to say STFU.  I bet even members of Putin's inner circle would agree that kind of talk is NOT helpful right now.  Last I knew, Putin's reasoning, however misguided, was to increase Russia's terratorial security.  Not utterly obliterate it. 

I was talking to a coworker today, a father of two middle-school aged children.  They come home every day asking things like "Is the world going to end?" or "Where do we go if Russia drops a nuclear bomb on our city?"  As if kids didn't have enough to be anxious about these past couple of years.

I like using nukes to remind people that some things aren't as bad as you'd imagine, and that our intuitions aren't as reliable as we think often.

I particularly remember one coworker whom I asked what he thought would happen to us at our workplace if such-and-such a nuke was dropped on the nearby metro area; his answer was that of course we would die instantly. The answer according to every simulation one could look up is that our windows would rattle, If we were really unlucky a few might break.

Nuclear winter isn't even as sure a thing as we've been lead to believe. I of course don't wish to test the theory but I firmly reject the position that our survival odds can't be increased significantly with careful planning and stockpiling; even in a full on nuclear war.

Quote from: RonnyRonin on March 16, 2022, 12:23:47 AM
I like using nukes to remind people that some things aren't as bad as you'd imagine, and that our intuitions aren't as reliable as we think often.

I particularly remember one coworker whom I asked what he thought would happen to us at our workplace if such-and-such a nuke was dropped on the nearby metro area; his answer was that of course we would die instantly. The answer according to every simulation one could look up is that our windows would rattle, If we were really unlucky a few might break.

There were a couple of articles recently about someone online who claimed to be from the future and what his predictions were (discovery of bigfoot, people getting superpowers, crossbreeding with a chimp, etc.).  The articles mentioned another claimed time traveler and his prediction of a Chinese bombing of NYC in 2049.  The only major problem with his prediction is that the person doesn't know anything about explosives and seemed to think that 2 tons of TNT would be enough to devastate the entire city!   

Quote from: SCBrian on March 14, 2022, 05:14:27 PM
Growing up living on a first strike target has given me a salty view.  Depending on how old russia's maps are, I'm either still first strike, or not far from one.

Based on what we've seen from Russian operations recently, you should probably worry about that.


Then again, based on what we've seen from Russian equipment recently, you probably shouldn't worry about that.


Then again, again, based on what we've seen from Russian politicians recently, you probably shou....oh, I give up.   






I'm starting to think that maybe a zombie apocalypse might have been a better option.  At least that one makes sense.

A link to the MP statement:
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/russia-threaten-america-nuclear-strike-26471984

QuoteFyodorov, in an interview translated by MEMRI TV, said: "Until there is a physical demonstration of (Moscow's) determination, America will perceive the positions of Russia and (Putin) as a bluff.

"So they need a demonstration. The most convincing demonstration would be the physical destruction of America's Defence Department facilities. I'm talking about facilities, which international law grants us the right to destroy."

The Russian parliament member also alleged that the missile strikes could hit the laboratories that "develop COVID-19".

He continued: "For instance, these could be the very same laboratories that develop COVID-19 or we could demonstratively strike the test range in Nevada with a ballistic missile."

Quote from: RonnyRonin on March 16, 2022, 12:23:47 AM
I like using nukes to remind people that some things aren't as bad as you'd imagine, and that our intuitions aren't as reliable as we think often.

I particularly remember one coworker whom I asked what he thought would happen to us at our workplace if such-and-such a nuke was dropped on the nearby metro area; his answer was that of course we would die instantly. The answer according to every simulation one could look up is that our windows would rattle, If we were really unlucky a few might break.

Nuclear winter isn't even as sure a thing as we've been lead to believe. I of course don't wish to test the theory but I firmly reject the position that our survival odds can't be increased significantly with careful planning and stockpiling; even in a full on nuclear war.

I would never say any kind of nuclear incident/exchange would be anything except really a bad event. Right up there in terms of several mega disasters at one time. That said there is a high probability that most people in the US would survive even a large nuclear exchange. Now the aftermath and the resulting lack of services and disorder would be a whole other matter.

The nuclear arsenals at the height of the cold war were designed with the inevitable system failures and need to hit certain target many times to ensure a kill. The areas that would get nuked are in for a world of hurt but vast swaths of the US would likely not be nuked.

Lets hope we never find out how bad things can get after a nuke exchange.

I re-watched the animated movie When the Wind Blows just to cheer myself up sometime in 2020. I'm not sure if it was ever released in North America, it's heart breaking 

https://youtu.be/9pJKdTqYijY