In the face of NATO-led military exercises in Eastern Europe, it seems like the only rational course of action for the US would be a limited nuclear strike by Russia. In such a scenario, the US military could increase its presence in Europe, additional strategic bombers would be deployed there, and new economic and diplomatic sanctions would be put in place against Russia. While the consequences of a limited nuclear strike in Ukraine may be less drastic than total war, they would be significant nonetheless.
The Soviet Union made this decision after a missile attack on NATO in 1983. It was a false alarm and if NATO had responded with a nuclear strike, the Soviets would have likely retaliated. However, the United States and the Soviet Union didn’t attack NATO. Instead, they raised their readiness levels to respond to NATO’s missile attack. Although the Soviet Union never launched a nuclear strike, it did prepare for a possible attack.
A nuclear war between India and Pakistan would cause much more widespread destruction than the 9/11 attacks. It would destroy cities, releasing hundreds of tons of black smoke into the stratosphere. As a result, global temperatures would fall by at least 20 degrees Fahrenheit for the first five years, with the coldest temperatures occurring in the Northern Hemisphere. Even more ominously, the world would experience a cooling period lasting decades and potentially leading to widespread famine.
A nuclear war would bring suffering to the world like never before. It would be worse than World War II, and the destruction and suffering would be unimaginable. Nuclear historian Chuck Wellerstein has put together a website called Nukemap to give the general public a visual understanding of the impact of a nuclear attack. The website lets players visualize the effects of nuclear war and see exactly where it would lead. However, it’s worth remembering that a nuclear war would destroy the world’s civilization.
A US president could launch nuclear missiles within five minutes. A nuclear war can spread over the entire planet within 30 minutes, and enemy missiles can fly from one side to another from submarines. The president could also issue a nuclear strike order with just five minutes’ notice. If he were to launch a nuclear strike, he would be obligated to protect the president and his successors. Besides that, he might even have to be impeached if he fails to respond within the timeframe he set.
A nuclear strike would also destroy a large number of infrastructures. In the United States, this might be an excellent way to deter a nuclear attack. During the 1950s, the United States had deployed a layered defensive response to a nuclear attack. It consisted of anti-aircraft missiles and guns, but that defense was relatively weak compared to the massive amounts of military expenditure that was involved. A fully equipped nuclear submarine would cost more than a developing country’s entire GNP.
