OT:US don't qualify for EU membership, don't spank children, WW2 history.

[Thermodyne]

Originally posted by Slynky:

quote:

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Originally posted by oleg:
No question, total nuclear war is the end of the mankind. I know very well the actual reason behind SDI is a noble one and has nothing to do with underminding the world security. However, that can become a side effect and a very serious one. OK, US will become secure against Noth Korea missiles.
But take a place of Chinese Gensek (sorry, don't know his name). How can he be sure it was not just a ruse to nullify China' arsenal ?? His first and totally justified reaction would be to review and modernize his nuclear deterrant.

Well, I don't have the education and knowledge that others here seem to have. However, from my time in the army and my time in ASA, INSCOM, NSA, etc., I think I can safely say worries of missile delivery systems are misplaced a bit. More likely, IMHO, the "world" needs to worry more about tactical nuclear devices (some call them "backpack warheads") and devastating biological poisoning.

With the number of people around the world that hate the US and the (seemingly) unending number of people who are willing to give their life in order to take lives and cause destruction, I'd say THAT is the "delivery system" we (speaking from a US POV now) should fear. And, THAT'S a hard "delivery system" to halt.

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The shipping container bomb is much worried about. Buried under a stack of other containers, it would be very hard to detect. That is why we need to begin to look at the threat from a different angle. The only defense is deterrent. We return the favor 1000 fold. You’re not actually from any one country, no problem, we have more than enough to go around. And let’s not forget that if NY or LA, or even Baltimore were to be nuked, there would be no need for smart bombs. We would be back in the business of making civilian populations suffer. If it were a chemical/biological attack, our stated policy is that we will respond with our nuclear arsenal. Do any of you have any idea of how bad it would be if a several kiloton device went off in Baltimore harbor? How many people live between there and Boston? Where would they be moved to?

SDI is not intended to stop terrorist, other than if they were to seize a silo somewhere. Its intent is to reduce the diplomatic influence that small nuclear arsenals offer to the third world. Korea has a little leverage because they can put a weapon on top of a missile. The greater the range of the weapon, the greater the influence. What they don’t realize is that we are old hands at this game.

Question, if an Ohio class sub were to pull up to a coral atoll, and declare itself a county. Where would this new country rank as a nuclear power?

And America has how many Ohio’s?

[Thermodyne]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
It was a symbol, thats why.

Stalingrad was the historic gateway to Asia. This is why it was fought over so many times in the past. And with ½ a million people, it was a major city by anyone’s standards. A quick look at the map will show that once the Volga was crossed, there were no natural defensive lines on the way to Moscow. Originally, the mission was to continue on and secure the resources of the region. But this had changed, 6th was going to be sent north to the capital in the spring. This was known in exacting detail by the Russians because of Lucy. The Germans had no intention of taking the whole country; they expected a negotiated peace on their terms. This was how war was fought in Europe at that time.

[primitive]

Originally posted by Thermodyne:
The only defense is deterrent. We return the favor 1000 fold. You’re not actually from any one country, no problem, we have more than enough to go around.

Do you really think that such policy will scare madmen away from terrorist actions against the US ? Remember, we are talking about suicide bombers here. People who are mad enough to hijack planes and crash themselves into buildings. People who are mad enough to train their children to strap on a bomb and blow up a bus or a cafe.

[Thermodyne]

Nope, but it will limit the support that other nations are willing to give to them. It will take much more than deterrence to protect America, but I don’t think we are ready to accept that much protection.

[primitive]

Originally posted by Thermodyne:
Nope, but it will limit the support that other nations are willing to give to them.

No it will not. If such was ever to become official US policy the cold war would be back in an instant. Only this time the US would find itself alone and isolated.

[Thermodyne]

And your solution would be?

[primitive]

People do not become terrorists for fun. Most people would need a serious grievance against someone before they take the step. As for soulutions: Ask the British, they have some success getting rid of the terrorism in/from Northern Ireland. They did not get it by lining up a random selection of people and shoot them each time somebody blows a bomb. The Germans tried that tactic in occupied Europe during WW2. It didn't work then, it don't work now. Very few people will have trouble accepting "police" type actions agains terrorists, but random return violence is the sure path to more violence.