Nuclear Deterrent

[DispatchDragon]

Hello Ian

There is a "legend" that the makers of the movie "The Bedford Incident" made three years later had inside information about the Beale/Foxtrot confrontation
as there were marked similarities in the movie and the truth - The Foxtrot class Submarine was indeed armed with ONE nuke tipped torpedo and had it been launched it is highly unlikely we would be discussing this - As to my the scenario - I think the point my brother was making is that given the state of ECM in the late 80s it would be highly unlikely that ANY aircraft tasked would be capable of communicating do therefore the decision to launch or not would become the responsibility of the AC NOT any command decision or order.

Its strange how ones beliefs and ideals change -- In the late 60s I sported a CND symbol on the back of my Scooter parka -- it has always amused me how in later days it has become "the peace symbol" and very few can tell you of its derivation.

Leif

[Fodda]

Interestingly, the CND symbol as we know it now was designed in the 1950s and here in the UK.

As any merchant marine or forces signaller could tell you ( ;-) ) the arms inside the circle spell out ND in semaphore, which the designer meant to stand for Nuclear Disarmament. This was long before CND were formed and they took on the symbol shortly afterwards.

Now even more interestingly, the symbol was also a favourite of the Nazi SS. Although they preferred to use it the other way up (typical Nazi love of runic symbology) on gravestones, death emblems and even tokens to SS widows. I'm also sure I've seen a photograph of a Nazi tank or SP gun with the symbol the peace way up (arms pointing down) in the divisional marking area of the vehicle. That wouldn't surprise me again, although after a long and tiring search of the interweb, I've not found it here. This was a long long time ago I saw it though... More than likely in a book.

I have a 1962 vintage Edgeware Peace Action badge with the symbol in white on green... Lovely badge that one.

Can't remember ever painting it on anything or item of clothing though.

[nigelb]

I was 16 when the Cuban Missile Crisis happened. That's considered to be the closest that the World has ever come to nuclear war and those of us who are old enough to remember it will also remember the desperate feeling of unfairness that we should have our lives snatched away before they had begun. It was a frighteningly sad time and reading those pathetic Government handouts brings back all the frustration, anger and fear. Thanks a lot!!!

Ian

Ian, we must be around the same age! I vividly remember those days - at the time we lived about 10 miles from Washington, DC and we figured (perhaps incorrectly) we would be the first to go. Also most of our neighbours were military and I can tell you that the general feeling among their kids of my age was that things were very, very bad. My Geometry teacher at the time had me get up in class and give a sort of pep talk to calm everyone down - still don't know why she picked me to do that because I was not one of her better students. I still had a very strong English accent at the time and perhaps she felt that was a calming influence - stiff upper lip and all that rot. As an aside, I had a crush on her, she was very pretty!

[Erick_Cantu]

Nuclear Deterrent: (n) the daftest idea mankind has come up with since the day Adam said "I think I'll stick this in there."

[airboatr]

.........if you kill me,, I'll kill you even more

:roll:

Nuclear Deterrent: (n) the daftest idea mankind has come up with since the day Adam said "I think I'll stick this in there."

well.. probably when the tree of knowledge was valued more than the tree of life.