Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

nuclear attack on britain- how likely

284 replies

blackbunny · 13/04/2017 21:10

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.

OP posts:
LuxCoDespondent · 15/04/2017 11:52

It's highly unlikely the UK will be attacked with nuclear weapons whilst a) we have a nuclear deterrent that we are willing to use, and b) only known states have nuclear weapons.

The concept of "MAD" (Mutually-Assured Destruction) means an attack on the UK will result in a nuclear retaliation against the state which attacks us. This can only be undermined if we have a PM who declares that (s)he would not use nuclear weapons to respond to an attack - such as Corbyn - or non-state entities get hold of nuclear weaponry. On the last point, by this the main concern would be Islamic terrorists, because which country should we target? It's one thing bombing Iraq or Afghanistan with conventional weapons, it would be a lot harder to justify wiping them off the face of the earth.

Of countries which have nuclear weapons, none are a serious threat to the UK at the moment. Israel, North Korea and Russia are perhaps the most unstable, but I can't see Israel wanting to attack us, Russia know that any attack by them will result in a MASSIVE response by the US, and North Korea are not currently much of a threat to anyone outside of their peninsular or Japan. If North Korea can develop submarine-based nuclear weapons then they would indeed be a serious threat to us. We don't need to worry about missiles fired from North Korea because they don't have the range to reach us - their main aim is to be able to reach the west coast of the US, which is a lot closer to them than the UK is.

If you are still concerned about a nuclear attack, then you can take steps to help yourself. Prepare for an attack by stockpiling food, water, fuel and medication. Have a plan as to where you will go - do you have a garden where you can build a fallout shelter, and if not then pick a room in your home with the least exposure to the outside (a hallway perhaps).

If you are near "ground zero" when the attack comes there will be nothing you can do - you will be vapourised before you know what is happening! If you are further away, you need to know what to do - immediately take shelter when you see the flash of the bomb (literally anything is better than nothing - a tree, a car, anything at all), then get home ASAP before fallout becomes the major concern. Then it's just a case of waiting it out in the shelter you have prepared.

But in all honesty, you don't need to worry about a nuclear attack. You are much more likely to die from a terrorist attack, at the hands of a serial killer-rapist, indeed to be murdered by your partner or own child.

scaryclown · 15/04/2017 11:55

Actually I think we are OK, the world still has great respect for our monarchy. They are working behind the scenes to keep ancient power structures in place.

peaceout · 15/04/2017 11:59

Interesting stuff about North Korea Drasticaction!

QuestionableMouse · 15/04/2017 12:15

How do you sink an island? It isn't floating!!

bugattiveyron · 15/04/2017 12:27

The people of North Korea are becoming increasingly hostile toward the Kim family's obsession with nuclear weapons, as it harms the country’s economic development and the people’s livelihoods.

What the people think is irrelevant to the NK dictators since they don't care what their people think as long as they do as they are told. If they don't do as they are told then they get new, remote, accommodation courtesy of the benevolent leaders who are apparently kind enough to let them take their family with them.

I can see the regime collapsing over the next decade or so but not because of the actions of ordinary civilians.

aprilsdelight · 15/04/2017 12:37

It's not true that dictators can't be over thrown by their own people. Gadaffi and Saddam Hussein are two examples in recent times.

OfaFrenchmind2 · 15/04/2017 12:46

Tbh, I don't feel too scared, and Britain can be assured of France support in case of attack, since we are so close geographically, economically, and also due to the huge population of French people in the UK. As it should be really.

However, I would hate to be South Korean right now.

DrasticAction · 15/04/2017 12:48

peace I have dipped in and out of following Daily North Korea paper for a few years now. Always offers a good perspective of whats going on.

bug if you read more articles on DNK you will see the youth are becoming a big head ache for the regime, its not so easy to tell them what to do anymore, for various reasons INC the seeping in of information from the outside via mobiles etc.

Also they are not willing to work in state jobs anymore, but prefer the black market as there is no money to pay them in state roles.

DrasticAction · 15/04/2017 12:50

In terms of regime collapse I don't think its possible to come from within in NK however - should there be a war, I dont think it would be long before soldiers defected - and the population tried to escape and turn on its leaders.

aprilsdelight · 15/04/2017 13:19

I'm sure, crazy as Kim Jon is that the concept of MAD regarding South Korea is stopping him from doing anything stupid. It's the testing of his missiles that scares me because Trump has said he won't tolerate it and will go it alone without help from China.

scaryclown · 15/04/2017 13:29

If the UK's not floating then why is the southeast sinking? Why do we need increasingly higher flood protection in the south huh?

It's because all the people and buildings are there..Making it sink.. think about a daft and what happens if everyone stand on one corner of it.. Scotland"s land is obviously higher too..'The Highlands' .. D'oh.

Isn't this what HS2 is about?..Try to get the population to live more north to balance it out?

scaryclown · 15/04/2017 13:30

I'm sure anuke on London would cause a hole that would fill up with water no?

Then we'd tip right up.

scaryclown · 15/04/2017 13:31

And I'm guessing that why trump has land in Scotland...It might end up being the highest ground in Europe

Puzzledandpissedoff · 15/04/2017 13:45

The fact we are an Island means anyone who wants to invade is going to have to do it by sea or air, as the Chunnel will have been blown up well before

Actually I'm genuinely surprised that nobody's tried to "blow up" the Chunnel already. If the 1996 fire is anything to go by, it seems at least a possibility that the safety standards are less than ideal:
www.independent.co.uk/news/channel-tunnel-fire-no-accident-1152097.html

Worse still, there are even suggestions that this may not have been accidental www.independent.co.uk/news/channel-tunnel-fire-no-accident-1152097.html

Which all feeds in to my determination never to use the thing ...

QuestionableMouse · 15/04/2017 14:28

**scaryclown

If the UK's not floating then why is the southeast sinking? Why do we need increasingly higher flood protection in the south huh?

It's because all the people and buildings are there..Making it sink.. think about a daft and what happens if everyone stand on one corner of it.. Scotland"s land is obviously higher too..'The Highlands' .. D'oh.

Isn't this what HS2 is about?..Try to get the population to live more north to balance it out?**

Please tell me you're joking. Please.

scaryclown · 15/04/2017 15:03

Yes, but my logic fits in with the standard of international debate on facebook et al these days..

Luckily the UK is quite insulated as we have sold off so much of our premium land in high population areas to a huge range of the international 'elite'so I think we would be quite far down the list, but on the other hand, think of the building contracts! We'd suck in so much activity that our acceleration afterwards would be epic..

aprilsdelight · 15/04/2017 15:05

Surely scareyclown IS joking. I just presumed she was. Surely she wasn't being serious. Shock

aprilsdelight · 15/04/2017 15:06

A very interesting concept if she isn't joking though. Grin

aprilsdelight · 15/04/2017 15:10

X post, phew that's a relief Grin

Thinkingofausername1 · 15/04/2017 15:18

I've just caught up with the news and I'm terrified. The videos of North Korea look like videos of the Second World War in colour. It terrifies me simply because if I run out of my medication because of a shortage or something I most probably will die!!

aprilsdelight · 15/04/2017 16:25

What's happening?

dementedma · 15/04/2017 16:30

Sabre rattling between North Korea and USA. It's just posturing and Willy waving.

bugattiveyron · 15/04/2017 16:33

bug if you read more articles on DNK you will see the youth are becoming a big head ache for the regime, its not so easy to tell them what to do anymore, for various reasons INC the seeping in of information from the outside via mobiles etc.

Oh yes, I do agree that it's changing but I still think that the regime has the upper hand for now

aprilsdelight · 15/04/2017 16:43

So nothing kicked off yet then, i refuse to watch the news, too scary, get it off MN instead.

spankhurst · 15/04/2017 16:44

I'm 46 and reached full capacity for worrying about the end of the world as a teenager, we had it shoved in our faces so much. My mum told me once that she'd stockpiled aspirin to give to me and my siblings in the event of war. Shock Agree that if there ever was a full-scale nuclear war, you'd be far better off dead in the first few minutes.

Swipe left for the next trending thread