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The nuclear codes

Remember how Hillary asked if you wanted Trump to have them?

So what if he goes over the edge and decides to blow something up if he loses. (I probably would being the petty bitch I am.)

Can he just push some buttons or do generals and cabinet people have to be there to help?

by Anonymousreply 50October 18, 2020 3:10 PM

He can't just do whatever he wants OP.

There are other people around him at all times and other buffer mechanisms in place to make sure he doesn't wake up in the middle of the night and press a red button in retaliation to a negative comment on Twitter.

by Anonymousreply 1October 15, 2020 11:33 PM

[quote] Can he just push some buttons or do generals and cabinet people have to be there to help?

The military aide who carried the “nuclear football” has to assist in transmitting the orders. The codes are actually to verify it is actually the president to forks commanders and other military personnel. The Secretary of Defense is also in the chain of command and is partly there to avert an illegal order and to prevent catastrophic decisions.

by Anonymousreply 2October 15, 2020 11:34 PM

Is the Secretary of Defense a batshit Trumper? What happens if Shitler doesn't take "no" for an answer?

by Anonymousreply 3October 15, 2020 11:55 PM

Suppose he calls in a nuke strike on Iran or North Korea. That’s a policy decision. It’s something that any President might reasonably, if stupidly, order. There may be people who agree with him, but hopefully, there are people in the chain of command that nullify that order before it gets to happen.

We all know that Trump Is vindictive, ignorant of history, indifferent to others‘ suffering, a complete failure as a human being. I have been predicting for years that he will resent the People for failing him, and will be inclined to do something to get back at them, meaning us.

IIRC, here was a time in the 1980s when a Soviet soldier thought that a planned satellite launch from Norway was mistaken for a nuclear attack. The soldier was supposed to fire his nukes in retaliation. That was the policy. Fortunately, he did not do so.

During the Cuban missile crisis, an American pilot flying over Cuba taking photos was shot down. Kennedy was urged to respond militarily. He did not do so, thinking that it might easily have been a scared Cuban in his early 20s who overreacted and was not the policy of the governments involved.

There are ample examples of times the US might have reacted militarily, such as the Iranian hostage taking, or the Russians shooting down a passenger jet in the 1980s; or the North Koreans seizing a small American Navy vessels. I think the world is a better place that we did not overreact to these events.

by Anonymousreply 4October 15, 2020 11:59 PM

Shitler can't send a nuke on his own R3. There are checks and balances to make sure that can never happen as R2 has explained.

by Anonymousreply 5October 16, 2020 12:13 AM

The Secretary of Defense (Mark Esper) was appointed by Dotard tRump. That should tell you how safe we are.

by Anonymousreply 6October 16, 2020 3:46 AM

WE ARE VAPORIZED

by Anonymousreply 7October 16, 2020 4:03 AM

R7 is correct. He is much more likely to call a strike on California (assuming he has no properties there) than he is on North Korea or Iran.

by Anonymousreply 8October 16, 2020 4:08 AM

Don’t worry, it won’t. Ever. Happen.

It’s not like Trump has a button that he pushes and missile silos open all over the world. Before the briefcase is even opened there has to be a discussion with the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, then thr secretary of defense has to confirm it was the president that transmitted the code. Then all down the line the military needs to put the plan of attack into operation.

Trump launches because he loses the election? You really, honestly think his order would be obeyed?

By the way, this sort of happened once before, well not with the president. It was in the Soviet Union. There was a certain event that was supposed to result in a rocket commander launching on the US. IT HAPPENED. He had to decide whether to launch or not. Imagine being in that position. This Russian commander made the decision not to launch. And saved the world. Literally.

It turned out the event was actually caused by a solar flare, not a US missile attack.

by Anonymousreply 9October 16, 2020 4:31 AM

I don't know how much room for discussion there is. AFAIK the prez has the authority to launch the nukes in the time it takes for a missile to reach the US from Moscow. The whole process can't take more than maybe 10 minutes (in case Washington is vaporized)

Bottom line, he IS in charge of the codes and has the authority. Do we really want to assume his toadies would do the right thing?

by Anonymousreply 10October 16, 2020 4:39 AM

Sorry, a detail in my story above was mixed up with another close call. It wasn’t a solar flare that sent the incorrect message. It was an error in the Soviet early warning system.

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by Anonymousreply 11October 16, 2020 4:41 AM

This is the Soviet colonel whose wise decision saved the world. If it weren’t for him, the earth would probably be uninhabitable right now.

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by Anonymousreply 12October 16, 2020 4:43 AM

And it’s people like him—levelheaded military men—who make a lunatic launch by Trump an impossibility.

by Anonymousreply 13October 16, 2020 4:45 AM

[quote] IIRC, here was a time in the 1980s when a Soviet soldier thought that a planned satellite launch from Norway was mistaken for a nuclear attack. The soldier was supposed to fire his nukes in retaliation. That was the policy. Fortunately, he did not do so.

[quote] By the way, this sort of happened once before, well not with the president. It was in the Soviet Union. There was a certain event that was supposed to result in a rocket commander launching on the US. IT HAPPENED. He had to decide whether to launch or not. Imagine being in that position. This Russian commander made the decision not to launch. And saved the world. Literally. It turned out the event was actually caused by a solar flare, not a US missile attack.

This is the Wikipedia entry for the Soviet officer in the incident to which R4 and R9 (the shelter cat) make reference.

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by Anonymousreply 14October 16, 2020 4:45 AM

If you want to know in detail how it works, read this AMA (Ask Me Anything) which was published 8 days ago on Reddit, and which is answered by former Secretary of Defense William Perry and nuclear policy think-tank director Tom Collina:

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by Anonymousreply 15October 16, 2020 4:54 AM

Hey Mike! Look! I have a missle pointed right at Rosie!

by Anonymousreply 16October 16, 2020 4:56 AM

And here's a podcast discussing the nuclear cpdes and nuclear launch protocol:

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by Anonymousreply 17October 16, 2020 4:57 AM

☢️ 🏈

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by Anonymousreply 18October 16, 2020 4:58 AM

Vox explains

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by Anonymousreply 19October 16, 2020 4:59 AM

Why are you torturing yourself with unnecessary and ridiculous fears, OP?

by Anonymousreply 20October 16, 2020 5:18 AM

I'm not torturing myself with fear r20. I'm a nihilist. I think it would be kind of cool if he started bombing things.

by Anonymousreply 21October 16, 2020 5:49 AM

R21 That's sad.

by Anonymousreply 22October 16, 2020 6:04 AM

I am afraid he will betray our country to the highest bidder and blab all our secrets

by Anonymousreply 23October 16, 2020 6:26 AM

[quote] He is much more likely to call a strike on California (assuming he has no properties there) t

Trump National Golf Course - Rancho Palos Verdes, California

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by Anonymousreply 24October 16, 2020 6:40 AM

The military is trained to disobey unlawful orderS. A war of aggression would be unlawful.

by Anonymousreply 25October 16, 2020 6:43 AM

It would be the end of his bromace with Vlad and his Trolls, Russia would be vaporized as would the US. Both countries have about 6,000 nuclear warheads each one big enough to destroy an entire city with a 200 mile radius.

by Anonymousreply 26October 16, 2020 7:09 AM

I'm afraid he'll invade Canada out of jealousy.

by Anonymousreply 27October 16, 2020 12:46 PM

The SoD and the joint chiefs of staff took the nuke codes away from Nixon after he, drunk out of his mind one night in the oval office wanted to nuke North Vietnam.

Nixon was a known drunk and he was also regularly popping anti anxiety pills.

by Anonymousreply 28October 16, 2020 1:15 PM

What would Henry Fonda do?

by Anonymousreply 29October 16, 2020 1:36 PM

I doubt the real codes have been in the Football these past four years.

by Anonymousreply 30October 17, 2020 1:01 AM

[quote]Remember how Hillary asked if you wanted Trump to have them?

This is one my least favorite one-liners from Hillary. Im so glad that Biden has not used it.

by Anonymousreply 31October 17, 2020 4:10 AM

No worries, they just gave him one of these and told him it was for important, dangerous stuff.

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by Anonymousreply 32October 17, 2020 4:55 AM

stable genius blew up the economy. The US is his latest bankruptcy.

by Anonymousreply 33October 17, 2020 4:58 AM

R4, you sound more like Patty Panic than the stoic scholar you want to be.

You're an idiot. A russian idiot.

by Anonymousreply 34October 17, 2020 5:02 AM

The trolls are back trying to sell unicorn farts.

A nuclear bomb blah blah blah. Blow up the world blah blah blah...

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by Anonymousreply 35October 17, 2020 5:10 AM

R28, reference?

by Anonymousreply 36October 17, 2020 5:17 AM

he'll lose the election and then we'll have a who shot JR storyline

think of the suspect list

by Anonymousreply 37October 17, 2020 5:25 AM

I wondered about that since 2016. I have this theory that the joint chiefs of staff met in secret and have some sort of plan in place to remove him from office if he attempts something like that, or more likely strip him of his commander-in-chief powers.

by Anonymousreply 38October 17, 2020 5:26 AM

[quote]I think it would be kind of cool if he started bombing things.

No, just you, OP. Just you.

by Anonymousreply 39October 17, 2020 5:40 AM

R38 I think the same. The military leaders know that Trump is mentally unstable. If nothing else, they’d probably tranquilize his crazy ass and get Pence to step in. I’m not a Pence fan but I’d be more comfortable with him holding the nuclear codes.

by Anonymousreply 40October 17, 2020 6:14 AM

R40 Or give him dummy codes and leave his stupid ass trying to use them.

by Anonymousreply 41October 17, 2020 7:32 AM

The top secret code is: I lick Vlads boots

by Anonymousreply 42October 17, 2020 1:29 PM

[quote] verify it is actually the president to forks commanders

And if anyone knows about forks it’s this president.

by Anonymousreply 43October 17, 2020 1:51 PM

[quote] I am afraid he will betray our country to the highest bidder and blab all our secrets

He would literally risk execution for treason.

by Anonymousreply 44October 17, 2020 1:55 PM

This comment, from another thread, always makes me laugh.

[quote]Cheeto is reportedly pissed because he thinks Vairst Letty is making him look weak.

[quote]Jess, I go rogue now. Breeng me briefcase wiz dee codes. Coup d'etat, beeches. —Generalisimo Melania

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by Anonymousreply 45October 17, 2020 1:59 PM

R36, I think it is well known that someone in Nixon’s cabinet, either chief of staff, or Secretary of State, or Secretary of Defense, during the Watergate investigation, told the military brass that any order to fire a nuke should be cleared by him, before doing so. Apparently Nixon was drinking far too much, plus he was under so much stress. Remember the stories of Nixon talking the the portraits in the WH of past presidents? Then there was the time that he asked Kissinger to get down on his knees with him to pray?

by Anonymousreply 46October 17, 2020 11:36 PM

[quote] R34: [R4], you sound more like Patty Panic than the stoic scholar you want to be.. You're an idiot. A russian idiot

R34, you’ve absolutely no cause to be rude, or so judgmental. And I don’t know what a “stoic scholar” is. I was simply relating events I actually recall from living through them. There’s no scholarship involved. And it is tedious to read posts from people like you accusing others of being Russian, simply because you’re uncomfortable with their post. If you’ve nothing constructive to add to a thread, how about you STFU?

by Anonymousreply 47October 17, 2020 11:46 PM

[quote] R44: He would literally risk execution for treason.

I’ve read that the term ‘treason” can only be charged in a declared war. So, technically, he can’t be so charged for that, even if he defected to Russia and shared everything he knows to them.

Apparently, there are still laws on the books for “sedition”, and that might be a charge that would stick.

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by Anonymousreply 48October 17, 2020 11:56 PM

[quote] R20: Why are you torturing yourself with unnecessary and ridiculous fears, OP?

OP asks a legitimate question. It’s human nature to be curious about such things.

The military has hypothetical plans for all kinds of contingencies. I have no doubt they have a dozen scenarios for Korea already written down. From a NK invasion of SK; involvement or not from China; nukes sent to Japan or even Hawaii. Likewise, war plans with Iran, Chinese invasion of Taiwan, etc.

And we do have “the most flawed person (chief of staff John Kelly) ever met”. Of course people will speculate about the nuclear football.

by Anonymousreply 49October 18, 2020 12:12 AM

If can can't jail Trump and his cronies, we should cancel them. Either they get arrested in this town, or we make it so they can't get arrested in this town.

by Anonymousreply 50October 18, 2020 3:10 PM
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