(OT) Will we be Nuked?

[Aloofi]

I agree that Bioweapons can be potentialy more deathly and easier to use than nukes, but a nuke will make headlines far more impresives, and that's why I believe a terrorist would prefer nukes over bio, though they certainly will use whatever they can get their hands to.
Nukes are out of the box, and its just a matter of time until 3rd world countries get them.

[sachmo]

I had a dream Last night that someone set off a nuke in my town. It was strange.

[dogscoff]

I had a dream Last night that someone set off a nuke in my town. It was strange

Let me guess, you were up late watching Terminator 2 and eating cheese weren't you?

[ February 28, 2003, 16:30: Message edited by: dogscoff ]

[solops]

Big disappointments (No rankings, just titles as I recall them.)

1. Patriot - incomplete
2. Superpower - buggy
3. Civ III
4. Call to Power I
5. Hearts of Iron – buggy as hell, true greatness was fumbled
6. Creatures I, II & III – too cute, my kids drive me nuts with it
7. Battlcruiser 3000
8. Imperium (the only attempt at a 3D galaxy I’ve seen)
9. Age of Empires (don’t like RTS arcades; too fast; no pause for orders)
10. SM’s Alpha Centauri

Games I liked right out of the box (Not in order)

1. Conquest of the New World Gold
2. Star Fleet Command
3. Stars! – #1:The best ever MP, outstanding interface
4. Civ 3 PTW add-on w/ patch
5. Civ 2 - Liked it a lot
6. Civ 1
7. The Operational Art of War (all editions)– outstanding, #2 favorite
8. SE IV
9. Dungeonkeeper II – a hilariously engrossing jaunt
10. Tanks!
11. Harpoon
12. Medieval Total War – fun, mixed implementation, good interface
13. Reach for the Stars! (Ancient original edition on Apple II)

[dogscoff]

Interesting post, Solops, but I think maybe you intended to put it in a different thread.

[Thermodyne]

Personally, I have no fear of being nuked by the minions of evil. I think the risk was far greater during the Cuban missile crises and again during the 70's mid-east wars. While it could happen, it really would not be a viable solution for the involved parties. Remember, they are terrorists, not anarchists. The use of a nuclear devise against and American city would create a situation not unlike what occurred after 7 December, 1941.

Basic human rights would go out the window along with what little authority the UN has left. Rule of law would become rule of might. The third world would be returned to the client status that they once suffered under and the Super Powers would again rise up and dictate how the world was run. The US would blow through the Islamic world with little regard for human rights. This would then trigger China and Russia to begin securing their power bases. I think we can all imagine what would happen if a phobic Russia felt threatened by what they would see as American expansionism.

What it comes down to is the level of desperation that the Islamic power base feels. If the current world situation continues, they will gradually be forced to adopt basic human right for their people. This will dissolve their base of power and they will become a footnote of history. If they hold back the influx of western reform, then they hold on for perhaps 50 years. At that time the will have exhausted their source of income, and be unable to finance their reigns of terror. Either way, the current power base gets to live out their lives as elite members of their society. But if they commit an act of terror that causes America to hate them as we once hated Japan, then the probably don’t live to see the next decade.

By attacking Afghanistan, we have removed a major safe area once enjoyed by the extremists. And by removing Saddam, we will be able to create a democratic state in an area that has not been able to live under the rule of democratic law in a very long time. It would be hoped that this would lead to economic development just as it did in Japan. While it is a painful to chose this course of action, to not act could be much worse. Also, so long as the Islamic world resorts to terrorism, the Israeli problem will never be resolved.

[Aloofi]

The problem with all that is that if there is a nuclear attack it will be from a terrorist organization, so there will be nobody to nuke back, and no country to overrun, just a shadowy terrorist group that have already managed to survive a year and a half of war with the US.