nuclear attack on britain- how likely

[blackbunny]

Posting this in AIBU for traffic.
With all the current unrest in the world, I've found myself obsessing today about the possibility of Britain being attacked.
Now, I suffer from depression and anxiety that is controlled by ADs. My husband has serious health issues, undergoing chemo atm and I'm naturally worried about the outcome. Till today, I've been coping with my feelings and emotions well. But today, seemingly out of the blue I'm haunted by the fear of a nuclear attack, can't seem to shake off the feelings of dread and fear.
I know in my head the reality is remote, but I suppose what I need to hear is that that is right.
Can anybody reassure me? Please help.

Oh dear this is a worrying article:

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/17/nuclear-war-has-become-thinkable-again-we-need-a-reminder-of-what-it-means

The Guardian is fucking hysterical and as bad as the Daily Mail.

They had a story in there last week about European children who'd lived here all their lives being denied residence which was granted to their parents and having all sorts of paroxysms about forced repatriations and families being split up.

Turned out the mother had filled their forms in wrong and forgotten to enclose the required evidence (a letter from the school) and had been advised to resubmit it correctly so it could be processed.

They love scaremongering.

apologies for not reading long thread.
worried too but then also agree it would be apocalyptic. ie. The End so we might as well live for no and enjoy it

Sounds about right, Bill

Hardly surprising that the Guardian's now having to beg for its very existence, is it?

Out in space two alien life forms are speaking with each other.
The first alien says, "The dominant life forms on the earth planet have developed satellite-based nuclear weapons." The second alien, who looks exactly like the first, asks, "Are they an emerging intelligence?" The first alien says, "I don't think so, they have them aimed at themselves."

It's highly unlikely so don't worry. You are worrying more than you need to because of your anxiety disorder which can cause irrational fears. I agree with most of the comments on here.

I can only assume the people on this thread saying it will never happen do not watch the news or read the newspapers.

We are on the brink of a nuclear war breaking out (Sorry OP)

The only thing I find comforting is that there would be no profit in a large scale nuclear war and that might just might be enough to get Putin and Trump to back down.

How are we on the brink catgirl?

Really catgirl 😳
I do watch the news but never for minute thought we were on the brink...

We are on the brink of a nuclear war breaking out

No we aren't.

Catgirl it depends what papers you read.

I guess you could argue we are 'on the brink' because we have 2 nuclear powers in some sort of chest-beating standoff, making threats to each other.

We knew this could happen if Trump got in - a man with no political credentials whatsoever, no diplomacy, just fancies himself as a 'deal maker' but in reality is a massive bully.

We are on the brink because NK will not stop their nuclear programme and missile tests.

The USA have said they will take unilateral action against them in the event of another test.

Should the USA do this NK are threatening the use of nuclear weapons (hopefully sabre rattling and their nukes are very limited and short range but could hit SK or possibly Japan).

The USA might respond in kind to a nuclear launch from NK. However I think they are more likely to respond with conventional weapons.

Russia and China are both allies of North Korea.

If the USA launch a preemptive strike against NK then it is not clear where China would stand (though I do not think they would side with NK - they are more concerned about a destabilised NK and the refugees and volatility this would create in the area along with not wanting a unified Korea, but still - they will not look favourably on the USA making a preemptive strike).

Russia have already warned the USA about not taking unilateral action against NK. This could easily lead to a war between the USA and Russia. Russia have moved anti-aircraft missiles close to the NK border and both China and Russia are following the US Navy deployment in the area. If Russia and the USA go to war, China may well side with Russia.

Trump and Putin are highly unpredictable and both have committed to increasing their nuclear capabilities. Trump asked 3 times in a security meeting just after taking office what was the point of nuclear weapons if they couldn't use them and has been obsessed with them since the 1980s. All current Russian war games end in a nuclear deescalation scenario (drop one and ask for peace). Trump did not get congressional approval for the Syria airstrikes and did a complete U turn on previous policies, showing he is capricious and does not feel the need to seek the approval of his own congress, let alone the UN / NATO.

The Doomsday clock has moved forward 30 seconds due to the Trump / Russia / China / NK issues and that was before this week when things started really kicking off.

So yes, I'd say we were on the brink given all of that.

What I found chilling about that Guardian article, was the comparison with how society broke down in New Orleans. We all saw it, poor pp on the rooves of their houses, surrounded by water, pp holed up in the super bowl stadium, no food or water, no one helping them, the authorities all but abandoning them. My fear is, that could happen here, the complete collapse of society and the chaos and unrest that follows. We are naive to think it couldn't happen here. A few tins of fruit and some bottled water won't help much!

I really can't see Trump or Putin wanted to live in a post nuclear world. They love their wealth too much.

I my first post April I said the only thing that made me hopeful it wouldn't happen was that there was no profit to be had in an all out nuclear war and all parties love power and money too much.

So I am clinging to that. I can't see even Kim fancying being in charge of a radioactive pile of rubble, less still Trump or Putin. But I do think we are living in very uncertain times.

Sometimes though, I don my tin foil hat and think that actually, behind the scenes they are all best friends and all this is just for show so they can keep us all in fear and distracted from them running the world to line their pockets and increase their powers. Or that they are mere puppets of mysterious overlords who have a grand plan and really run things. I almost hope for 12 foot lizards and Illuminati style shadowy forces. It's better than thinking the current ego driven fools are actually running things.

I seem to remember this happening with NK when Obama got in too. Does anyone else remember that?

However Obama seems slightly less impulsive that trump. Which is a worry but I try to not think about it.

Yes madeyemoodysmum, i vaguely remember something like this, but i didn't take much notice at the time but i do remember it being in the papers/on the news

Yes catgirl, in my optimistic moments i think that all the super powers are doing is carving up the world between them, they know things we don't, but maybe going through the motions of gearing up for war but with no intentions of actually doing so. Keeping us all scared is something that for some reason suits them. I'm clinging to that anyway, the alternative doesn't bare thinking about.

All hail the 12 foot lizards April :)

They get my vote over the current shower of world leaders

They get my vote too. Bastard world leaders.

Catgirl - but we have ALWAYS lived in uncertain times. Name me a time when things haven't been uncertain. Are you not reading the experiences of people growing up in the 80s who received leaflets through their letterbox about how to prepare for a nuclear war ffs? The only difference is the sheer amount of exaggerated/fake news, manipulated headlines, and the media constantly making out the smallest thing to be breaking news. An example; Just yesterday, the DM ran a headline that said Russia was taunting the British by sailing its war ships through the Channel, and that the Navy were watching them. These were not warships, they were just Russian boats (granted military boats but not fucking warships) sailing LEGALLY through open waters to get to where they were going, and were being escorted by Navy boats as they would for any of this type of boat passing through.
I hate the media and everything they are doing to war monger amongst stupid gullible folk

The media are sensationalising everything.

We have been on the brink of nuclear war on a few occasions. And we are back there again. Just because we've been there before doesn't mean we aren't now. Just because it hasn't happened before doesn't mean it won't or can't. We have less restrained leaders this time around. But hopefully none of them are mad enough to push the buttons. Kim might. He has the least to lose and the most to gain.

Hopefully the USA will not take a preemptive, military course but it's a very difficult situation. No amount of sanctions from China are likely to deter NK. They literally do not care if the country starves (it has done before) and they will not give up their nuclear programme. Regime change is the only good outcome there and it's not likely in the near term.

Was brought up on a farm in country Oz, my dad remembers life before they got electricity (In the mid 50s). Was actually chatting to dad the other day about being self sufficient. I reckon with a wind turbine and canola oil press (to run the Diesel engines) they'd be fairly sorted. We still know how to preserve fruits, veges, etc. (they still have an orchard/vege garden), butcher animals, hunt if need be
(Also I think they'd do ok if the shit hit the fan (they're still in a community where people really look out for each other). I, on the other hand in the UK would likely be fucked ...

I am not doing fantastically well with all of this. I was hospitalised regarding my prepping causing a breakdown and I can see my terror over this sending me the same way. I can't stop reading about it because then I break down into a tail spin of feeling I have zero control.