# What if we just blew up our enemies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 31, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395 "2010-05-31T16:25:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/81 "2010-06-05T01:17:09Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Buh? The “other nuclear armed countries” are part of “everybody,” which have been destroyed along with the middle east in my scenario. You presume they won’t see the missiles coming. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/82 "2010-06-05T01:25:25Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > You presume they won’t see the missiles coming. You presume they will see the missiles coming. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/83 "2010-06-05T01:28:09Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > You presume they will see the missiles coming. :rolleyes: Of course they will, they are naturally watching at all times for such an attack. Did you think we were the only people on earth smart enough to think of watching for incoming missiles? ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/84 "2010-06-05T01:33:08Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > You presume they will see the missiles coming. It doesn’t matter if they see them coming. Some of theirs are on subs. Enough to really ruin your morning. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/85 "2010-06-05T01:41:04Z")
Rover’s actually arguing his flippant idea seriously? Okay… the problem with blowing up “everybody”, even if it was possible and even if there was no retaliatory annihilation, is that the waves of radiation from the necessary amount of mega-tonnage sweep across the Earth, including the U.S farm belt. I’d guess there’d be massive crop die-offs, and that’s even before the nuclear winter starts. The U.S. won’t stand alone as conquerors facing an empty colonizable world, they’ll just be rapidly-starving remnants, freezing to death. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/86 "2010-06-05T01:45:08Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Rover’s actually arguing his flippant idea seriously? I kinda thought that’s what we were doing in this thread . . . > [@](#): > > Okay… the problem with blowing up “everybody”, even if it was possible and even if there was no retaliatory annihilation, is that the waves of radiation from the necessary amount of mega-tonnage sweep across the Earth, including the U.S farm belt. I’d guess there’d be massive crop die-offs, and that’s even before the nuclear winter starts. The U.S. won’t stand alone as conquerors facing an empty colonizable world, they’ll just be rapidly-starving remnants, freezing to death. Blowing up everybody doesn’t necessarily require the use of nuclear weapons. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/87 "2010-06-05T01:47:03Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Blowing up everybody doesn’t necessarily require the use of nuclear weapons. Considering that other countries have nukes and will most certainly use them if we try to kill them all, yes it does. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/88 "2010-06-05T01:51:09Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Blowing up everybody doesn’t necessarily require the use of nuclear weapons. Well, I guess you could start assembling six billion mail bombs, but the stamps are gonna get pricey… ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/89 "2010-06-05T02:09:41Z")
Well, there are ways to kill everyone without them knowing about it until it is too late. Someone above had a good suggestion–develop a super-virus and then release it after all Americans have received the vaccine. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/90 "2010-06-05T02:10:50Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, I guess you could start assembling six billion mail bombs, but the stamps are gonna get pricey… Not to mention the tongue injuries from all that licking . . . ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/91 "2010-06-05T02:11:37Z")
That’s okay, you can use a sponge soaked in the blood of your enemies. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/92 "2010-06-05T02:13:04Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > You presume they won’t see the missiles coming. Duh. That’s why you use the deadly virus, silly willy. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/93 "2010-06-05T02:14:48Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Well, there are ways to kill everyone without them knowing about it until it is too late. Someone above had a good suggestion–develop a super-virus and then release it after all Americans have received the vaccine. Millions of Americans get inoculated, and then only Americans survive a mysterious disease? Good luck keeping that plot a secret. That scenario is even worse than using nukes; everyone, including allies than normally don’t have nukes pointed at us will have the time to figure out what happened and nuke us to oblivion. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/94 "2010-06-05T02:15:44Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Well, there are ways to kill everyone without them knowing about it until it is too late. Someone above had a good suggestion–develop a super-virus and then release it after all Americans have received the vaccine. Oh, I almost forgot. This plan will also wipe out all the anti-vax crowd. Win win. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/95 "2010-06-05T02:18:48Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Millions of Americans get inoculated, and then only Americans survive a mysterious disease? Good luck keeping that plot a secret. That scenario is even worse than using nukes; everyone, including allies than normally don’t have nukes pointed at us will have the time to figure out what happened and nuke us to oblivion. There are ways to inoculate people without them (or anyone else) knowing about it. Also, “allies”? What part of “kill everybody that’s not in the US” do you not understand? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/96 "2010-06-05T02:22:56Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > There are ways to inoculate people without them (or anyone else) knowing about it. On the scale of hundred of millions? Unlikely. > [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Also, “allies”? What part of “kill everybody that’s not in the US” do you not understand? But THEY presumably think they are our allies. Otherwise what’s the point of trying to inoculate people in secret? It’ll be obvious what’s happening, secret or not. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2010, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/97 "2010-06-05T02:41:40Z")
Well, most Americans are dead weight anyway, so let’s forget the massive vaccination campaign. Vaccinate Dopers, a few thousand extra hot chicks, and let 'er rip. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/98 "2010-06-05T04:47:52Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > It doesn’t matter if they see them coming. Some of theirs are on subs. Enough to really ruin your morning. You think they can’t track subs easily and automatically now? Pfffh! Not that they’d admit it, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/99 "2010-06-05T07:13:48Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Well, the trouble with invading Canada is the U.S. has no chance of preventing counter-invasions, with a 3000-mile border. 1812 has long since been consigned to the history books, time has marched on. The US has no need to invade Canada at all, they simply close the border to traffic and we grind to a halt within several days, Ottawa caves, its that simple. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2010, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395/100 "2010-06-05T09:05:14Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > 1812 has long since been consigned to the history books, time has marched on. The US has no need to invade Canada at all, they simply close the border to traffic and we grind to a halt within several days, Ottawa caves, its that simple. I think you’re assuming much more unity in your country than actually exists. If Canada had attacked you first, I can imagine a blockade being accepted, reluctantly, but stopping trade for no apparent reason is going to get some fairly wealthy and influential Americans, plus a whole lot of people in the border states, downright upset, if not rebellious. I suppose if there’s been a few years of anti-Canadian propaganda first, pushed along by some Colorado bitch who tried to blame Canada for her children being out of control… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-just-blew-up-our-enemies/541395.md?page=6)