Atomic weaponry - facts and myths.

[skirtboy]

This related to a discussion in the Bush Doctrine thread concerning the American atomic stockpile.

This thread is to discuss the various myths and facts concerning atomic weaponry and warfare, so as to ensure that further debate on the morality of keeping a stockpile is informed debate.

Topics that need disussing are:

1. What a nuclear weapon is
2. What a nuclear weapon is not
3. The value of deterrence
4. The probability of a full scale nuclear exchange.
5. The feasibility of tactical nuclear doctrine.

I don't have time to explore this further right now. I'll post as soon as I get a chance.

 

[holloway]

:smoke:
I'm gonna smoke dem dare commies.

 

[Grathea]

Well, y'see, a nuke-you-lar weapon is a tool of the enemy. And if we don't stop 'em with our own, the terrorists win.

Nuclear weaponry is dangerous.
What is it not? Not dangerous.

 

[holloway]

They help us protect our fluids.

 

[mawk]

Nuclear weapons are like cars -- the more you have, the cooler you become. Are you a bad enough dude to join the Cold War Club?

I think debating the safety of something with so much killing power is going to turn out sort of one-sided, to tell you the truth. As for how necessary it is that some people have them... There's something. : P

 

[skirtboy]

I post a serious thread and you make a joke out of it. Very mature.

 

[mawk]

Generally, we expect threads in the Symposium to begin with a little more substance. What you've given us is very bare-bones, and the discussion cannot start until someone steps up and states an opinion.

If you'd like to direct this thread, please give us more to work with here. :x

 

[pewpewpew]

Well it is somewhat hypocritical to allow the US to have armed nukes and no other country, but to be honest, who's going to say anything about it?

Sorry Mr. Ahmadinejad, your voice is meaningless.

 

[Dopples]

I post a serious thread and you make a joke out of it. Very mature.

That joke is actually all nukes are meant for. Nukes aren't meant to be fired, they're meant to say "I'm bigger than you, so fuck off" to other countries. Learn your Cold War facts.

 

[zeldrak]

Try to see nuclear weaponry as an e-penis. The bigger they are, the more ego their owners have.

 

[Dopples]

Try to see nuclear weaponry as an e-penis. The bigger they are, the more ego their owners have.

Pretty much.

 

[skirtboy]

First, the public image of nuclear arms as magic engines of destruction is a fallacy. Atomic arms are merely compact exlosive devices with unusual secondary effects. The day after Hiroshima was bombed, trains ran in the city. Second, the effects of full-blown nuclear warfare have always been exaggerated. It has always been assumed that the majority of warheads were aimed at cities, and the bigger the city, the more likely it is to be targeted. This is unlikely, based on known warhead and missile specifications.

 

[Dopples]

First, the public image of nuclear arms as magic engines of destruction is a fallacy. Atomic arms are merely compact exlosive devices with unusual secondary effects. The day after Hiroshima was bombed, trains ran in the city. Second, the effects of full-blown nuclear warfare have always been exaggerated. It has always been assumed that the majority of warheads were aimed at cities, and the bigger the city, the more likely it is to be targeted. This is unlikely, based on known warhead and missile specifications.

Where are you getting your facts? Hiroshima is still uninhabitable. Dunno about Okinawa, but I know that Hiroshima is still off-limits to people due to radiation.

 

[Legendary]

...No it's not. They built a museum in 1955. The current mayor was elected about ten years ago. It's the capital of it's prefuncture. There are over a million people living there.

Also, Okinawa was never bombed. Nagasaki was. It's currently the seat of a Catholic archdiocese, and there are half a million people living there.

 

[arcthemonkey]

I think you're thinking of Chernobyl, Jewish. 'cept, people even still live there.

There are HOJILLIONS of people in Hiroshima.

 

[Kraft]

Yeah, I think you was thinking of Cheronobyl as well ^_^

You see, the difference there was that that city was not hit by a nuclear explosion such as a warhead.

I may be wrong, but I cant imagine a nuclear warhead (like the actual plutonoum part) to be all that big.  it says here ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapon_design ) that the size of the warhead for Hiroshima was less than 4 inches in diameter.

The chernobyl incident happened because a nuclear reactor the size of a seven story building melted down and spread the radiation from within it everywhere.  There is a huge size difference, as well as a lot of different circumstances.


But yes, generally, nuclear weapons are a "Dont attack me, I will nuke you back to your mammas womb" kinda thing.  They discourage people from having/using them.  (the best defense is a strong offense ^_^)

Granted, they are a threat, especially if one was detonated in a large populated area.  (ever seen 24 season 6?  off subject, but it explains a lot about the kind of nukes that terrorists could have and what they could do if used)

~Kraft

 

[skirtboy]

For a gun type bomb, such as used at Hiroshima, abourt 150lbs of fissile uranium were required. An implosion type bomb uses about 15 lbs of plutonium, with a uranium jacket. However, the explosive sheath and other components will make it much larger.

 

[holloway]

That is creepily detailed.

 

[___]

I'm going to lock this since it got started off poorly.  Skirtboy, please repost with some substance; your topics are fine but you need to present some supporting facts and opinions in order to get debate started.  If you want to talk about something but you don't have time to write out a full post, just don't post the topic till you're ready, please. : )