# Nuclear attack eminent; do you retaliate? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 31, 2016, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158 "2016-05-31T11:01:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/21 "2016-05-31T14:58:26Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Absolutely I push the button. It’s not about revenge; it’s about teaching the next set of idiots with powers of mass destruction. Can’t it be about revenge _too_? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/22 "2016-05-31T15:12:13Z")
Barry Manilow them back into the stone age. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/23 "2016-05-31T15:17:28Z")
At a minimum, I never, ever, say that I wouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/24 "2016-05-31T15:27:59Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Can’t it be about revenge _too_? And preemption. I say nuke 'em NOW so they can’t nuke us later! I think that’s why we invaded Iraq, and we all know what an outstanding success that turned out to be. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/25 "2016-05-31T15:31:45Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > And preemption. I say nuke 'em NOW so they can’t nuke us later! This is a big reason why I’ve always supported nuking Canada. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/26 "2016-05-31T15:47:21Z")
The choice would be so much easier if we knew whether Barry was in the 85% group or the 15%. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/27 "2016-05-31T15:52:41Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > [eminent](https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=define%3Aeminent): 1) famous and respected within a particular sphere or profession 2) used to emphasize the presence of a positive quality > > [imminent](https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=define:imminent): about to happen > > – your friendly grammar Nazi Don’t forget **immanent** : 1. living, remaining, or operating within; inherent 2.Theol. present throughout the universe: said of God ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/28 "2016-05-31T15:59:50Z")
Nuke 'em, if only to prevent Putin from being the most powerful human on the planet. That would have more disastrous consequences than the tragic loss of Russian lives. But nuke Barry Manilow first. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/29 "2016-05-31T16:04:13Z")
No, I wouldn’t launch. What would be the point? If we are 85% destroyed, we have lost anyway, and nuking a bunch of Russkis isn’t going to help anything. The notion of deterring the next time doesn’t make any sense. Nuking the US is going to cause the world economy to collapse. Kind of a Pyrrhic victory for Putin. Not to mention that the Chinese and India and all of Europe and Japan and Canada and Mexico are going to be more than mildly peeved. Of course, if (God forbid) I was ever running for President, I would swear up and down that I _would_ nuke Russian in retaliation. Deterrence is deterrence, after all. But when it came down to a choice between having 250 million Americans die, and have 250 million Americans die plus 250 million Russians, I pick the option where fewer people die. Besides, if I am going to die, what legacy do I want to leave behind me? The legacy of pointless revenge, that achieves nothing? Or the legacy that I did what I could to spare the lives even of my enemies? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/30 "2016-05-31T16:45:09Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > No, I wouldn’t launch. What would be the point? If we are 85% destroyed, we have lost anyway, and nuking a bunch of Russkis isn’t going to help anything. > > The notion of deterring the next time doesn’t make any sense. Nuking the US is going to cause the world economy to collapse. Kind of a Pyrrhic victory for Putin. Not to mention that the Chinese and India and all of Europe and Japan and Canada and Mexico are going to be more than mildly peeved. > > Of course, if (God forbid) I was ever running for President, I would swear up and down that I _would_ nuke Russian in retaliation. Deterrence is deterrence, after all. But when it came down to a choice between having 250 million Americans die, and have 250 million Americans die plus 250 million Russians, I pick the option where fewer people die. > > Besides, if I am going to die, what legacy do I want to leave behind me? The legacy of pointless revenge, that achieves nothing? Or the legacy that I did what I could to spare the lives even of my enemies? > > Regards, > Shodan Doggone, every once in a while we totally agree! It’s so nice when that happens. Good point about the legacy. If I’m president, I don’t want future historians putting my name on the biggest mass murderer list right next to Putin. Plus, for those who believe, there’s a guy at the pearly gates who might take a dim view of nuking back and send me on the down escalator. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/31 "2016-05-31T16:52:13Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > The choice would be so much easier if we knew whether Barry was in the 85% group or the 15%. Stake him out on the Washington Mall, and he’ll be among the 85% for sure. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/32 "2016-05-31T16:56:06Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > If the Cold War taught us anything, it’s that MAD does not work. In fact, the only reason any of us are still here is because it doesn’t. MAD was the reason the Berlin Blockade did not escalate into World War III. MAD was the reason Korea did not escalate into World War III. MAD was the reason Viet Nam did not escalate into Wold War III. MAD was the reason a bunch of brushfire wars in Africa and Latin America did not escalate into World War III. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/33 "2016-05-31T17:21:02Z")
Yes, launch so that I don’t doom 15% of Americans and who knows how many in the rest of the world to become Putin’s slaves. Once were gone there’s nothing left to stop his rebuilding the soviet Empire to conquer the rest of humanity. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/34 "2016-05-31T17:42:19Z")
I repossess their remaining missiles using imminent domain. ---
**Author:** ![UberArchetype](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/2bfe46/32.png) [@UberArchetype](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UberArchetype)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/35 "2016-05-31T17:51:36Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I repossess their remaining missiles using imminent domain. And raise the steaks with chemical-biological counter-attack! ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/36 "2016-05-31T18:45:37Z")
I’m sorry, was there a question? I was busy jamming my finger down on this red button I found. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/37 "2016-05-31T19:01:48Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > This is a big reason why I’ve always supported nuking Canada. Wait what??? Hey! ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/38 "2016-05-31T19:09:56Z")
It’s not about revenge, it’s about: 1. Living up to our part of the MAD promise. I like to keep my word. 2. Just because they went nuts and nuked us doesn’t mean it can’t get worse in the future. Basically, any response other than nuking them reads to me like saying “So what if that guy raped and killed one victim? We can’t help the victim now. I’m sure everything will be fine if we do nothing.” ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/39 "2016-05-31T19:36:13Z")
Terminate. With extreme prejudice. Since I am fulfilling my half of the MAD arrangement, I am doing a favor to whoever survives by removing the people who initiated this mess. Might as well continue the favor by finally ending the problems of the Middle East. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158/40 "2016-05-31T19:41:04Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > It’s not about revenge, it’s about: > > 1. Living up to our part of the MAD promise. I like to keep my word. > 2. Just because they went nuts and nuked us doesn’t mean it can’t get worse in the future. > > Basically, any response other than nuking them reads to me like saying “So what if that guy raped and killed one victim? We can’t help the victim now. I’m sure everything will be fine if we do nothing.” We tend to not rape and kill rapists either. And if we’re going into such semi-relevant analogies its more like raping and killing the perpetrator, and his partner, his children, all his relatives, his dog, the people he works with, Bob who lives down the street and well pretty much everyone he has ever met. No, count me out of genocide, thank you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuclear-attack-eminent-do-you-retaliate/756158.md?page=3)