• Greenleaf [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    4 months ago

    Not saying a nuclear exchange is impossible, but I have seen nuclear scientists discuss just how (relatively) little nuclear weapons going off could really fuck up the planet.

    About 100 bombs the size of the one dropped on Hiroshima (relatively tiny, basically a tactical nuke today) going off in cities could potentially fuck up the climate of an area the size of a continent for several years.

    If the US and Russia launched about 5% of their arsenal at each other, that’s enough to potentially end most human life on earth.

    When two nuclear powers go to war, once they start launching the nukes there is no off-ramp, no real way to de-escalate.

    Long way of saying I agree, the oligarchs of the US have to know what a war with China would actually bring. And like you said, better to rule in a diminished US than die the same death as the proles they hate.

    • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmy.mlOP
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      4 months ago

      Indeed, I think the real danger is that US might start a conventional war with China thinking they could win, and then when things inevitably start going south, there’s a lot of potential for stupid shit to happen. RAND actually published a study on a conventional war with China, and this is the level of insanity we’re dealing with https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1140.html

      • FALGSConaut [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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        4 months ago

        We also assume that China would not attack the U.S. homeland … given its minimal capacity to do so with conventional weapons

        Jfc you weren’t kidding, these people are actually detached from reality. Amerikkkans really can’t comprehend the reality of war since they haven’t actually experienced it as a population since the civil war. 100% the war would start with America attacking, getting a bloody nose, losing a carrier or two, and launching nukes at China.