Canada lives above this. We know what this means. We chose not to be nuclear ready ( though we have the means and knowledge to do so) a long time ago (whether that was wise is a discussion from another day). Bottom line, like the other G7 countries, we make agreements on trade and other matters that are relevant at the time. The final communiqué Donald Trump refused to sign in 2018 showed Canada and the G7 exactly what the US thought of allies (despite allies showing up after the US invoked NATO Article 5 and allies responded in 2001). Trump then continued to denigrate not only Mr. Trudeau but all Canadians by his rhetoric. I will never trust US politicians ever again. They treat us as less than just because they have 10x the population. We must defend ourselves, take future demands from NATO as time for review rather than just responding as we did in 2018.
I was an Air Force officer in the 1980s at the tail end of the Cold War. While I wasn’t personally part of SAC (Strategic Air Command) I was keenly aware of our role in war if atomic weapons were involved. I met people who thought military officers were more than willing to use atomic weapons, though nothing could be further from the truth. We were all too aware of the reality of what that meant and it scared the hell out of us. Launching nuclear weapons was the last thing we’d ever want to do and would try any other solution.
The thought of another Trump presidency is more than scary as his attitude toward using power, including nuclear power is frightening. I far more trust Kamala Harris and the team surrounding her for thoughtful responses to events leading up to war. I hope we can keep the world at peace as WWIII is beyond frightening. Hopefully we can elect thoughtful, ethical leaders who will pursue all options before engaging military or worse yet, nuclear power.
Thank you for sharing The New Yorker article. I am struck by the fact that the bomb was so horrible and unknown, people could not absorb what had happened.
thank you for pointing this out, we as humans forget intentionally as it is too far out of mind and thought, but could be a reality, especially with a deranged individual as Trumpty
David, I want to thank you for this column. It's true, nuclear war is not at the top of my worries. I am more concerned about the climate disaster and mass starvation. The difference between them, as I see it, once there is a nuclear war, no matter how small (two bombs), the human species is pretty much toast, not to mention most other species. But nuclear war is definitely more of a threat, especially due to what is going on in the Middle East. The climate disaster might be lessened somewhat depending on what we do, but nuclear pollution is all you need, and not much of it. My brother-in-law worked all his life for Bechtel, all around the world. Now he is dying (well, they're still trying to fix him) of leukemia. Allow me to amend this as of this morning. He now has a fungus on a lung. He was just a contracts lawyer. But if you live around Hanford for 20 years, that's probably all you need.
The most important part of the equation. The Covid test gifts are just one indicator that they are BFF. What happens when those lovebirds get into a spat?
FALLOUT of the nuclear kind. Trump thinks he can control Putin. Wrong.
Thank you for this post. And thank you for having guests like Joe Cirincione on DSR, who has helped to educate many on the importance of nuclear non-proliferation.
How can we possibly put this horrible genie of nuclear weaponry back into the bottle? Like the members of Nihon Hidankyo, however, we have to devote ourselves to the cause. That begins, of course, with electing responsible leaders, like Kamala Harris, on our side, while containing those, like Putin, on the other.
Thank you, David Rothkopf, for pointing out in such stark, chilling terms that the stakes in our election could not be higher.
Wow. This was chilling but essential for us all to read. I am very glad to hear of the survivors group and their work. Thank goodness for realistic workers for change.
I have always been actively opposed to nuclear weapons and nuclear power. We are simply unable to manage either long term, but we proceed anyway. In college I read about the costs of nuclear power plants. To dismantle them costs many multiples of the cost of building them, but for political reasons that amount is not factored in, so nuclear power appears a great deal cheaper than it is.
I worked for my State Assemblyman when Shoreham was supposed to go online as a nuclear plant. My Assemblyman, an engineer, opposed it utterly. He did not like what he saw. We went on a tour, and he pointed out what worried him. Ultimately the plant was not put online because they couldn’t figure out an evacuation plan for along Island.
We now see the power plant in Ukraine being played like a shuttlecock in that war. And Putin keeps threatening to use nukes. We scoff at the notion, but that is short sighted. Putin is driven to re-conquer Soviet lands. If foiled in his attempts, I am not certain that he wouldn’t try a limited attack. It would be bad for him if he did so. Ukraine was the breadbasket of Russia. He doesn’t want to irradiate potential farmland.
Most world leaders have some degree of self control even if motivated by self interest. Trump, we know, does not. And his brain is clearly deteriorating. He is an enormous threat. He cannot win this election..
Just yesterday Trump was whining about how he deserved the Nobel Peace prize but that Obama got it just because of his name. Love that even Trump knows the name he has slapped on pretty much everything from bibles to buildings is not worthy of the honor and recognition he craves.
Eric Jr. reportedly explained the negligence of the Nobel committee: "My Father thought that he was getting a "piece" prize, when he deserved the whole thing. So he refused. My Father deserves the Nobel Peace Prize more than anyone in the history of pieces. He should also get the Nobel Prize in Physics, since My Father's Uncle John was the famous MIT Professor who the FBI hired to evaluate the experiments of Nikola Tesla when Tesla died in 1943. Great Uncle John knew more about physicks than Tesla ever did. My Mother also deserved the Nobel Prize in Physics; she visited a psychic in Queens every Sunday, rain or shine."
Pretty much the only thing Trump could do that might warrant consideration for this or any other prize is withdrawing from the race and going into permanent retirement.
I was in 4th grade when The Day After aired. I think everyone in the country watched it. Maybe it’s time for it to be aired again. Of course, that was before that were 8 million channels of nothing to watch. But it seems like another reminder for the masses that nuclear weapons are something to fear might be due.
Nuclear Carastrophe is around ten years away.
Holy hell.
Canada lives above this. We know what this means. We chose not to be nuclear ready ( though we have the means and knowledge to do so) a long time ago (whether that was wise is a discussion from another day). Bottom line, like the other G7 countries, we make agreements on trade and other matters that are relevant at the time. The final communiqué Donald Trump refused to sign in 2018 showed Canada and the G7 exactly what the US thought of allies (despite allies showing up after the US invoked NATO Article 5 and allies responded in 2001). Trump then continued to denigrate not only Mr. Trudeau but all Canadians by his rhetoric. I will never trust US politicians ever again. They treat us as less than just because they have 10x the population. We must defend ourselves, take future demands from NATO as time for review rather than just responding as we did in 2018.
Where are the Daisy type commercials illustrating the danger of Trump's finger on the nuclear button?
Appears to get more likely with each quarrel. Can’t count on everyone being willing to fully consider the full potential consequences.
I was an Air Force officer in the 1980s at the tail end of the Cold War. While I wasn’t personally part of SAC (Strategic Air Command) I was keenly aware of our role in war if atomic weapons were involved. I met people who thought military officers were more than willing to use atomic weapons, though nothing could be further from the truth. We were all too aware of the reality of what that meant and it scared the hell out of us. Launching nuclear weapons was the last thing we’d ever want to do and would try any other solution.
The thought of another Trump presidency is more than scary as his attitude toward using power, including nuclear power is frightening. I far more trust Kamala Harris and the team surrounding her for thoughtful responses to events leading up to war. I hope we can keep the world at peace as WWIII is beyond frightening. Hopefully we can elect thoughtful, ethical leaders who will pursue all options before engaging military or worse yet, nuclear power.
Thank you for sharing The New Yorker article. I am struck by the fact that the bomb was so horrible and unknown, people could not absorb what had happened.
thank you for pointing this out, we as humans forget intentionally as it is too far out of mind and thought, but could be a reality, especially with a deranged individual as Trumpty
Or Putin is, yeah feels like a Putin thing.
David, I want to thank you for this column. It's true, nuclear war is not at the top of my worries. I am more concerned about the climate disaster and mass starvation. The difference between them, as I see it, once there is a nuclear war, no matter how small (two bombs), the human species is pretty much toast, not to mention most other species. But nuclear war is definitely more of a threat, especially due to what is going on in the Middle East. The climate disaster might be lessened somewhat depending on what we do, but nuclear pollution is all you need, and not much of it. My brother-in-law worked all his life for Bechtel, all around the world. Now he is dying (well, they're still trying to fix him) of leukemia. Allow me to amend this as of this morning. He now has a fungus on a lung. He was just a contracts lawyer. But if you live around Hanford for 20 years, that's probably all you need.
Trump = Putin.
The most important part of the equation. The Covid test gifts are just one indicator that they are BFF. What happens when those lovebirds get into a spat?
FALLOUT of the nuclear kind. Trump thinks he can control Putin. Wrong.
Thank you for this post. And thank you for having guests like Joe Cirincione on DSR, who has helped to educate many on the importance of nuclear non-proliferation.
How can we possibly put this horrible genie of nuclear weaponry back into the bottle? Like the members of Nihon Hidankyo, however, we have to devote ourselves to the cause. That begins, of course, with electing responsible leaders, like Kamala Harris, on our side, while containing those, like Putin, on the other.
Thank you, David Rothkopf, for pointing out in such stark, chilling terms that the stakes in our election could not be higher.
Wow. This was chilling but essential for us all to read. I am very glad to hear of the survivors group and their work. Thank goodness for realistic workers for change.
I have always been actively opposed to nuclear weapons and nuclear power. We are simply unable to manage either long term, but we proceed anyway. In college I read about the costs of nuclear power plants. To dismantle them costs many multiples of the cost of building them, but for political reasons that amount is not factored in, so nuclear power appears a great deal cheaper than it is.
I worked for my State Assemblyman when Shoreham was supposed to go online as a nuclear plant. My Assemblyman, an engineer, opposed it utterly. He did not like what he saw. We went on a tour, and he pointed out what worried him. Ultimately the plant was not put online because they couldn’t figure out an evacuation plan for along Island.
We now see the power plant in Ukraine being played like a shuttlecock in that war. And Putin keeps threatening to use nukes. We scoff at the notion, but that is short sighted. Putin is driven to re-conquer Soviet lands. If foiled in his attempts, I am not certain that he wouldn’t try a limited attack. It would be bad for him if he did so. Ukraine was the breadbasket of Russia. He doesn’t want to irradiate potential farmland.
Most world leaders have some degree of self control even if motivated by self interest. Trump, we know, does not. And his brain is clearly deteriorating. He is an enormous threat. He cannot win this election..
Just yesterday Trump was whining about how he deserved the Nobel Peace prize but that Obama got it just because of his name. Love that even Trump knows the name he has slapped on pretty much everything from bibles to buildings is not worthy of the honor and recognition he craves.
Eric Jr. reportedly explained the negligence of the Nobel committee: "My Father thought that he was getting a "piece" prize, when he deserved the whole thing. So he refused. My Father deserves the Nobel Peace Prize more than anyone in the history of pieces. He should also get the Nobel Prize in Physics, since My Father's Uncle John was the famous MIT Professor who the FBI hired to evaluate the experiments of Nikola Tesla when Tesla died in 1943. Great Uncle John knew more about physicks than Tesla ever did. My Mother also deserved the Nobel Prize in Physics; she visited a psychic in Queens every Sunday, rain or shine."
Mar a Lardo has three bomb shelters - one for Trump, one for Melania and one for the KGB handlers.
Pretty much the only thing Trump could do that might warrant consideration for this or any other prize is withdrawing from the race and going into permanent retirement.
Dunno. I think he might deserve an Oscar for leading Roy Cohn on for all those years. Unless he actually did let Roy ...
I was in 4th grade when The Day After aired. I think everyone in the country watched it. Maybe it’s time for it to be aired again. Of course, that was before that were 8 million channels of nothing to watch. But it seems like another reminder for the masses that nuclear weapons are something to fear might be due.
I was an adult at the time, and it frightened me. It should be aired again.
I fucking hate the electoral college cudgel that makes any of this possible.