Limited Nuclear War

[PlutonianEmpire]

If the US was engaged in limited nuclear war, in which only very select targets in the US are nuked by anyone in particular, how would it affect our lifestyles? What cities do you think would likely be destroyed? Recently, I learned that even headquarters of major corporations would also be targets, so the first cities that come to mind are Seattle (where boeing is), and Minneapolis, where the HQ of Best Buy is not too far away... Also, how would the war affect commercial aviation, both here and abroad?

I ask because I was wondering about it, and also because this is a CIV forum, where there would be a few good strategists and tacticians...

 

[Labtec600]

Being close to DC, i'd be SOL.

You all can figure out the rest.

 

[amadeus]

Living within the city of Minneapolis, I'd be done for.

The government issued a report in 1990 detailing the effects of a limited nuclear war. The map for Minnesota is here.

 

[Mowque]

Got one of those for PA?

 

[amadeus]

Got one of those for PA?

http://www.webpal.org/d_resources/list.htm

 

[Aramazd]

I'd be effed.

 

[civ_king]

look at California the at the cluster half way up, I'm a little NE of San Fransisco . (we had a naval base over here, but it closed in '94, so that might not be reliable)

 

[Aramazd]

look at California the at the cluster half way up, I'm a little NE of San Fransisco . (we had a naval base over here, but it closed in '94, so that might not be reliable)

No, because we have like 3 labs that work on nuclear weapons in the Bay Area, all East Bay, IIRC.

 

[Miles Teg]

Holy Crap. I forgot about the huge military presence in my area. How many people in a town of 8,000 can claim to be within 4/5 of those yellow rings?

 

[taper]

Take a look at North Dakota. I'm screwed. Luckily there's only one other country with enough nukes to do this, and they'd have to be crazy to try it. Not exactly a "limited" war if that map comes true.

 

[Irish Caesar]

If the US was engaged in limited nuclear war, in which only very select targets in the US are nuked by anyone in particular, how would it affect our lifestyles?

It wouldn't.

We'd pretend to care, bomb somebody, and get on with our lives.

Spoiler :

[/cynicism]

 

[Colonel]

Limited nuclear war is a joke, if you wage limited war it will escalate and you will be destroyed. One nuke goes off its an accident or something else you launch more then one, the total US arsenal responds on every enemy target which in effect ends the world. The United States would obliterate the world if it engaged in any type of nuclear war. Not to mention the only country capable of waging a war of that scale would most likely have a few of its old ICBMs blow up when they attempted to launch them.

 

[sourboy]

Minneapolis wouldn't be hit for Best Buy, that's silly. We would be hit for Honeywell -- a big defense company. I've always heard we'd be one of the first targets...

 

[Winner]

Why would anybody nuke cities?

Nukes are meant to wipe out MILTARY infrastructure, cities and other soft targets are secondary or tertiary targets.

Unless you fought the war with China, which can presently use its nukes only to hit few US cities (because they're so inaccurate they wouldn't hit anything else), of course.

 

[Winner]

Limited nuclear war is a joke, if you wage limited war it will escalate and you will be destroyed. One nuke goes off its an accident or something else you launch more then one, the total US arsenal responds on every enemy target which in effect ends the world. The United States would obliterate the world if it engaged in any type of nuclear war. Not to mention the only country capable of waging a war of that scale would most likely have a few of its old ICBMs blow up when they attempted to launch them.

Russians are actually modernizing their ICBMs. When did the US last modernized theirs?

Anyway, your opinion (bolded) is laughable, stupid and so painfully wrong it makes me , almost.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

If the US was engaged in limited nuclear war, in which only very select targets in the US are nuked by anyone in particular, how would it affect our lifestyles?

Have in mind that only 4 or 5 high altitude electromagntic pulses would be enough to destroy any electronic equipment in the whole country destroying the entire industrial network, communications, transport system and services and sending the country to the 19th century for many years.

 

[Winner]

Have in mind that only 4 or 5 high altitude electromagntic pulses would be enough to destroy any electronic equipment in the whole country destroying the entire industrial network, communications, transport system and services and sending the country to the 19th century for many years.

Maybe it would take just one.

 

[red_elk]

Have in mind that only 4 or 5 high altitude electromagntic pulses would be enough to destroy any electronic equipment in the whole country destroying the entire industrial network, communications, transport system and services and sending the country to the 19th century for many years.

Exactly. It most likely will not destroy military equipment, but industry will be badly damaged.

 

[Shekwan]

I reckon I'd be grand.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Exactly. It most likely will not destroy military equipment, but industry will be badly damaged.

In fact reports affirm that, excepting some key equipment which is hardened against EMP, most military electronic stuff would also be destroyed or disabled.