Worried about war

[TarasHarp55]

I'm so frightened right now. Do we all think we're heading into WW3. If we send tanks it escalates, if we don't it would spread anyway. Can anyone calm me in anyway. I'm really scared. Help....please.

Also the bigger the bomb the less damaging the fallout. It goes up higher into the atmosphere and takes longer to fallout and therefore loses some/all of that dangerous radiation before it lands.

No. That's not a thing. How many other other posters to you see boomerang around with cataclysmic doom mongering?

Honestly you’re just cherry picking the odd post that will feed your anxiety (assuming for a moment it’s genuine).

Tbf, the notion of 'shooting down nukes' is a bit of a myth.

Stuart Ray, senior analyst at McKenzie Intelligence:

There is no real credible capability to shoot down an incoming intercontinental ballistic missile. No nation really has a credible capability in this respect.

Whilst anti-ballistic missile technology exists, current technological advances do not stretch to a capable system to protect against even a limited ICBM attack.

The strategic defence initiative or "Star Wars" concept from the 1980s was seen as a potential defence system but this never became a reality.

However, it must be remembered that it is highly unlikely that the UK will face this threat. The greatest defence we have is our own nuclear deterrent and that provided to NATO by the US, delivering the concept of mutually assured destruction; any player that launches an attack will do so in the knowledge that they will in turn be destroyed by a retaliatory strike.

Why now? This situation has been going on nearly a year

honestly given how shit Russia’s conventional military seems to be I can’t see them risking NATO nuclear weapons being unleashed on them

Another article which goes into depth if anyone's interested.

Basically, it looks like deterrent is our best hope. Most analysts seem to think the likelihood of an attack is low but feasible. That's why I'd rather we don't make any drastic moves, even if I'd like to see Putin crushed and this ended fast. Shock, desperation, and bitterness are probably the most likely things to make him retaliate. I think we need to give him some way to step down.

A study published this year by the American Physical Society has brought the reliability of the system into question. The study, which focused on ICBMs from North Korea, concluded that the GMD couldn’t be relied upon to “counter even a limited nuclear strike” and said that the systems in place were “unlikely to achieve reliability within the next 15 years”.

www.theweek.co.uk/news/defence/957033/can-anything-stop-a-nuclear-bomb?amp

Presumably because the Kremlin are kicking off about tanks, along with the German reluctance to send them (partially on the grounds of perceived escalation). Great name by the way!

And the explosion of Krakoa was bigger than all the nukes in the world put together and sent us into nuclear winter for a hundred years and yet we're all still here.

Absolutely, never underestimate the power of Mother nature and her ability to watch our pathetic shenanagins and say 'hold my pint' .

Don’t worry Op we won’t be. Putin said we’d go nuclear if we provided weapons & we did, he then suggested he’d go nuclear if we provided jets, we did. Then he suggested he’d go nuclear if we provided long range missiles, we did. He’d never go nuclear, what would be the point. It’s mutual destruction. Even if he wanted to the other people who have to action this won’t want to, they have families, friends, lives. Why kill the whole world instead of taking one man out. That’s literally what it is. We will be absolutely fine x

@MademoiselleTrunchbull he has been given multiple opportunities to take an off-ramp. In fact, his grip in Russia is such that even now, he could say ‘job done, point made’, withdraw his troops and in all likelihood, carry on.

Ah come on now, there's no way Putin's going to opt for the annihilation of Russia, which is what would happen if he took this nuclear. Russia has antiquated materiel - the US, Germany, the UK - they could wipe them (Russia) out easily if it came to it. The nuclear threat is just dick-thumping. I'm not in the slightest bit worried, and it wouldn't make a difference if I was - apart from making me miserable, and honestly, there are better things to worry about - like how the fuck we're going to deal with climate change and global pollution.

Have a hug, OP, it's not as bad as you think it is - just do your best to have a good life, enjoy your family and whatever else makes you happy - spring is coming, there's a summer ahead - just chill :)

Why is it cherry picking, i was responding to a post that I found a bit condescending, telling me something that most people would know. I suffer from anxiety, not ignorance.

Anyway I'm bowing out, I've just seen a similar thread made earlier today where the responses are a little less hostile and more reassuring to the Op. But thankyou to those of you who understand anxiety and did their best to calm me.

Thank you, your post is the most reassuring and just what I needed right now. I know none of us can predict what will happen but a post like yours helps a lot. Anyway I'll leave it at that and take your thoughtful post with me. 😊

In other news, the US spent $800bn on defence in 2021. And will have spent about the same when the fiscal year 2022 ends in April. That’s right, nearly $1tn a year. That’s more than the GDP of reasonably sized countries.

While we’re at it, Exxon and Chevron reported record profits in 2022.

Did you miss the bit where BAE systems reported a 21% increase in profits in 2022? After all, war needs ammunition and equipment.

So what does that all tell you? That you don’t need nuclear war to make money. Just the threat of it is enough. Because people still fall for it in this day and age. Rather than just engaging their brains and following the money.

You don't think there's even a tiny possibility that he'd rather go out with a bang and say 'fuck you' rather than relinquish his country to the West? Hugely fuck up the UK/US rather than give us control.

I'd like to think he won't but I can't say for sure that he's less radical than a suicide bomber.

Oh dear. Out from the frying pan, into the fire. The next generation of the gullible are fully baked. Sufficiently terrified of climate change for the next round of government lobbyists to guarantee themselves a payday.

No one is going nuclear. Putin and his mates haven't enriched themselves to turn to ashes. Same with the oil companies etc. Lots of money in bombs and bullets etc. What could you do anyway? Up to Govts to sort it out.

Oh dear. Out from the frying pan, into the fire. The next generation of the gullible are fully baked. Sufficiently terrified of climate change for the next round of government lobbyists to guarantee themselves a payday.

I think you'll find I'm part of the older generation, not the 'next'. I'm not in the slightest bit terrified of climate change, as I will have checked out long before my part of the world (not living in the UK at the moment) is affected. No kids or other relatives to worry about. I have no influence on what your government chooses to do, or not to do - and, frankly, if you're not convinced by the science then all you have to do is just carry on carrying on and see what happens. Hope it turns out well for you and yours :)

Well that's the real disaster. It could be out for around 50 years.

Hang on a minute @BringBackCoffeeCreams so no internet for around 50 years, so what about internet banking ? Are we going to be reduced to bartering with radioactive swedes ? will mobile phones work or will all the G's be gone ? Will I have to brush up on my Telex skills ? Should I consider learning Morse code ? Trapping and training pigeons ?

It’s not the rockets necessarily but the warheads themselves which are not maintained. They need to be regularly refuelled with the elements needed for boosting fission, the pits need servicing too as they’re in constant decay. Fine to get the booster into firing position and release the RVs but then good luck trying to get a weapons effect out of a badly serviced warhead

Best case is the electricity goes down for half an hour. Worse case we're back to pre-industrial times for a generation or two. So get your name down for an allotment and buy yourself a horse, just in case.

Will do, thanks for the advice @BringBackCoffeeCreams

When you say horse, would a donkey suffice ?

I understand OP, and I’m sorry you’re getting some harsh responses here. It can be hard to control anxiety and different things seem to work for different people. From what you say, for you, talking and asking questions helps. Some of the less harsh advice on here such as thinking about medication may be worth considering, just because anxiety can be so debilitating it can help to be helped with that aspect of it. I have personally found that helpful, even though I wasn’t keen for a long time. I actually think you’ve been quite brave in standing up for yourself against some of the more attacking comments. I hope you can soon find a way to lessen the affect these anxious thoughts have on you.