wopazoo

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

They'll never know for sure though, so MAD still works. Honestly a country could explicitly state "we will not fire back" (as Jeremy Corbyn kinda did) and MAD still functions.

I think it's pretty clear that if your country is going through a pacifist movement of self-disarmament, you will not be able to return a second strike.

Political leaders can say whatever they want in times of peace. Once the nuclear powers are at each other's throats, nuclear pacifist rhetoric becomes dangerous. Imagine if there was a nuclear pacifist movement in the USSR that was succeeding during a time of high tensions. Khrushchev says that the USSR would not return a second strike if the USA nukes them first. Bombing would've begun in five minutes.

You can't roll the dice on existential issues like that.

I think you can.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

When you pray to the sun god it won't hear for 8 minutes, and then you need to wait for another 8 minutes for the response. Just basic physics. If it's an emergency the sun can't help you, better luck praying to the moon.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (8 children)

I'm reminded of Newcomb's paradox.

The point of a second strike isn't to get revenge. The point of a second strike is to prevent a first strike. But if the first strike has already happened, hasn't the second strike already failed? If so, what's the point of launching it?

But the first strike is only launched when there is no fear of a second strike. If American intelligence finds out that Chinese nuclear commanders would not actually launch a second strike, you can bet your ass we begin bombing in five minutes.

[–] [email protected] 42 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

The doctrine of nuclear deterrence only works if there is a credible threat of a second strike. Once it has been established that nuclear victims will not retaliate, it is open season for atrocities beyond your comprehension.

The credible threat of a second strike prevents a first strike. In order to have a credible threat, you must be actually willing to go through with it.

The best way of making a credible threat is to make it so that you have no choice in the matter. Russia's Dead Hand system automates the second strike, removing all human agency. Computer systems do not think about philosophy before dropping the other shoe.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

This is still better than every single programmer driving their own Tesla to work.

Also it's not as if public transit buses don't blow up climbing hills all the time.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

2010s

Do you mean the 2020s?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Trolleybuses

BEV buses allow for partial trolleyification

BEV trucks getting powered by overhead wires on a highway is another interesting throught

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Are Chinese people fascist? 8 is a lucky number, and 88 is double lucky.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

No. Hot sort only takes into account post age and votes.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Princess Peach is left-handed confirmed

[–] [email protected] 46 points 1 year ago

some people are saying that it's a false flag by Russia

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