The sad fact is, that I believe the possibility of the U.S. being nuked one day to be fairly high, based on a couple of facts;
1) The U.S. is one of the most hated countries on the planet.
2) Miniaturization, they can build a nuke small enough to fit in a suitcase.
3) The security measures implemented since 9-11 were conceived by politicians, not security experts, as a knee jerk reaction, after the fact, to cover their collective behinds. The borders are a sieve, and probably always will be due to the sheer volume of international trade.
The only question I have is; how can this be stopped? It seems to be an inevitability, with extremists and their billionaire benefactors, all trying to take shots at the economic big dog in the yard and bring him down. I’m worried…very.
Sorry. didn’t mean to scare anybody….the old anxiety closet can do that sometimes.
Like I said at Ballard Street…..it’s a cow. It’s only a cow. No nukes are raining down……Iran is peaceful, N. Korea has no nukes, just cows. (But I recommend The Day After for a sense of the stupidity of mankind)
The good part of being replaced by China as the number one power in the world is that (1) fewer people will want to nuke us and (2) we owe China so much money they can’t nuke us.
Hugh - “they can build a nuke small enough to fit in a suitcase. ”
Common misconception, depending on your definition of “suitcase”.
No country or organization currently has the ability to produce a new “suitcase” or “briefcase” sized atomic or thermonuclear explosive devices.
Only two countries, the US and USSR, ever had the necessary processing facilities to manufacture the needed exotic materials for such, and no one is presently operating, or is capable of starting operating in the near future, any such facilities.
The materials required have very short useful lives, and since the production facilities ceased operating a while ago, nearly no usable amounts still exist.
What can be built is footlocker (16” by 16” by 30”, 200 pounds) sized atomic devices, and small packing crate (3’ cube, 400 pounds) thermonuclear devices.
Size/weight estimates include enough radiation shielding to not fry everything within 30’.
For comparison, a W88 (475 kt thermonuclear device carried by Trident II Mark 5 missiles) has a physics package (the “guts” of it) of @ 22” diameter, 69” long, and 700-800 pounds, all packed within a somewhat larger shielded reentry and guidance vehicle.
Sisyphos over 15 years ago
Hey, big girl, drop in and see me sometime! –No! Does not sound right!
armedcitizen1 over 15 years ago
she will be decommisioned one day
Daviddeer over 15 years ago
Looks like a comic from the carefree 1980’s where being nuked was all you had to truly worry about.
Hugh B. Hayve over 15 years ago
The sad fact is, that I believe the possibility of the U.S. being nuked one day to be fairly high, based on a couple of facts; 1) The U.S. is one of the most hated countries on the planet. 2) Miniaturization, they can build a nuke small enough to fit in a suitcase. 3) The security measures implemented since 9-11 were conceived by politicians, not security experts, as a knee jerk reaction, after the fact, to cover their collective behinds. The borders are a sieve, and probably always will be due to the sheer volume of international trade. The only question I have is; how can this be stopped? It seems to be an inevitability, with extremists and their billionaire benefactors, all trying to take shots at the economic big dog in the yard and bring him down. I’m worried…very. Sorry. didn’t mean to scare anybody….the old anxiety closet can do that sometimes.
risitas over 15 years ago
Why, BLAMMAW, what big, uh, WARHEADS you have…….
Quabaculta over 15 years ago
Like I said at Ballard Street…..it’s a cow. It’s only a cow. No nukes are raining down……Iran is peaceful, N. Korea has no nukes, just cows. (But I recommend The Day After for a sense of the stupidity of mankind)
jrbj over 15 years ago
The good part of being replaced by China as the number one power in the world is that (1) fewer people will want to nuke us and (2) we owe China so much money they can’t nuke us.
Miserichord over 15 years ago
Hugh - “they can build a nuke small enough to fit in a suitcase. ”
Common misconception, depending on your definition of “suitcase”.
No country or organization currently has the ability to produce a new “suitcase” or “briefcase” sized atomic or thermonuclear explosive devices.
Only two countries, the US and USSR, ever had the necessary processing facilities to manufacture the needed exotic materials for such, and no one is presently operating, or is capable of starting operating in the near future, any such facilities.
The materials required have very short useful lives, and since the production facilities ceased operating a while ago, nearly no usable amounts still exist.
What can be built is footlocker (16” by 16” by 30”, 200 pounds) sized atomic devices, and small packing crate (3’ cube, 400 pounds) thermonuclear devices. Size/weight estimates include enough radiation shielding to not fry everything within 30’.
For comparison, a W88 (475 kt thermonuclear device carried by Trident II Mark 5 missiles) has a physics package (the “guts” of it) of @ 22” diameter, 69” long, and 700-800 pounds, all packed within a somewhat larger shielded reentry and guidance vehicle.
coffeeturtle over 15 years ago
two words… North Korea. ;-)
ChiehHsia over 15 years ago
I used a footlocker as a suitcase when I went to college. Nuff said.