{"id":6480,"date":"2022-04-14T16:19:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T23:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?p=6480"},"modified":"2022-04-14T16:33:28","modified_gmt":"2022-04-14T23:33:28","slug":"plausible-nuclear-escalation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?p=6480","title":{"rendered":"Plausible Nuclear Escalation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 1983, the movie “The Day After<\/em><\/a>” was broadcast as a made for TV movie. 62% of Americans watched it. It became the highest rated television movie in history – a record it was still holding as of last check in 2009. The film postulates a fictional war between NATO forces and the Warsaw Pact countries that rapidly escalates into a full-scale nuclear exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remember seeing that movie. I was only about 10 years old, and I remember how terrifying it was. I don’t think people born since the 90’s appreciate the fact that whole generations in the 70’s and 80’s grew up with the idea that at any time – even by accident – the whole world could be nuked to the stone age in about 90 minutes. This movie brought the reality of nuclear world war into shocking focus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward to 2022, and we are again hearing direct threats of a nuclear war. This video, Plan A, was created by a Princeton team that simulated<\/a> how easily a conventional NATO conflict could turn into a full-scale nuclear exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s frightening is that this very scenario of a NATO-Soviet start of nuclear war was posited in 1982. Fast forward to 2020 when this video was made – long before the 2022 Ukrainian conflict. Yet, we are edging closer and closer to this very scenario today. Still, there are those who have hope<\/a> for a different outcome while we make every political effort towards peace<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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