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[–] 2 points 2 days ago (5 children)

Nuking Iran will make the oil crisis permanent.

Nuking Ukraine would kill the value of Ukraine.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 days ago (4 children)
    1. The US does not actually dislike the "oil crisis" the US oil companies were in deep debt prior to the Iran war and were barely breaking even on their oil. This was has been a massive windfall for them. It's a political problem for Trump yes, but the actual power players in the US (rich) love it.
    2. A tactical nuke on Kiev would not destroy the value of Ukraine. You are too Fallout brained. Look at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They're perfectly normal cities today.
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  • [–] 2 points 2 days ago*

    Yes - shortages and perceived shortages give corporations something to blame high prices on. Bad times are fine as long as they can blame somebody else. They tried to blame the 2009 financial meltdown on "irresponsible borrowers".

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  • [–] 1 point 2 days ago (1 child)

    A tactical nuke on Kiev would not destroy the value of Ukraine

    I agree: the Chernobyl disaster was radiologically worse than a modern nuclear weapon.

    I'd raise the problem with using a tactical nuke is the consequences of breaking the nuclear taboo is normalizing use of tactical nukes, and outside of a few morons and sociopaths nobody wants to live in that world.

    I guess the bright side would be the "not totally insane or stupid" countries teaming up against a common enemy to do anything possible to remove the people responsible from power. You'd find some extremely well trained and equipped "rebels" hunting heads.

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  • I think the nuclear taboo was always a myth. It's always been the case that there were 2 groups of countries (since nukes existed). 1 group had nukes, but could also generally get their way conventionally. Another group either didn't have nukes but couldn't defend themselves conventionally, or had nukes and just hid behind their nuclear shield. Like the DPRK using nukes to keep the US at bay.

    So the fact no nukes every got used was mostly due to the fact that the big interventionist military powers didn't NEED their nukes to win. Unless they were facing a country that also has nukes. In which case MAD applies.

    But now there's countries that are beating nuclear powers conventionally, while also not having nukes, and not even being backed by a nuclear power (like how the USSR was there to back the Vietnamese).

    Then the extra factor is that nukes aren't all that useful in most cases. They're too big. Too destructive. Not precision weapons. But the wars being fought now are less and less about precision. And more about just destroying the enemy entirely.

    So the way I look at it isn't as "breaking the nuclear taboo" since I generally don't think world leaders care about stuff like that. I look at it as the conditions that motivate or demotivate a nuclear strike happening are changing.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 days ago

    Look at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They're perfectly normal cities today.

    • increased levels of cancer in local population
    • increased levels of birth defects in local population
    • increased levels of mental illness in local population

    oh yeah. "Perfectly Normal".

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