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[LordSlowpoke]

what is the purpose of nuclear weaponry other than destroying life

and no, threatening to destroy life does not count

[Sheb]

End life? You guys overestimate the power of nukes.

[Helgoland]

End life? You guys overestimate the power of nukes.

Well, that's the popular perception of nuclear warfare, just like the popular perception of the aftermath of a nuclear plant failure being your friendly neighborhood nuclear desert.
'Becoming the next Hitler' would probably be more appropriate in that context.

[LordSlowpoke]

on an "as we know it" basis, it can be destroyed, yes

basically forcing another ice age + loads of radiation would smack up the ecosystem quite badly, though it wouldn't make the earth all that inhabitable

[Sheb]

Jeez, most of the planet wouldn't even notice it. You know we already detonated about 2500 nukes since 1945. Granted a large number (probably a majority) were detonated underground, but still.

Russia got a large amount of tactical nukes for starter. And the minute they look like they're going to loose, I would expect them to shoot "nuclear warning shots" to force a peace on their terms. A small nukes in Brussels city center would only kills a few tens of thousands of people at most, a drop in the bucket if we're having a Russia-Europe war.

[Ukrainian Ranger]

Lets be honest. Open war is as likely as it was during coldwar

But little green man can work both ways. Weird armed groups may appear in Central Asia, or in Belarus. Then in Russia itself

I said it before and I am gonna repeat it again. If Kaliningrad oblast will get an offer to become Germany with all residents becoming German citizens
Same apply for Sakhalin and Japan. Karelia and Finland.

Russians enjoy doublethinking. They are proud of Russia and huge patriots... but given a chance to become a citizen of more prosperous country they will not reject it ever.

Then we have North Caucasus, Tatarstan, Bashkiria and many that may enjoy some support for independence movements

That war will be a hybrid war, while West gonna need to learn to practice that kind of war, they have more resources to wage it. That if China will remain neutral (It will not,  China needs Siberian territories)

[10ebbor10]

basically forcing another ice age

Not really. Nuclear winter is not another ice age, it's a rerun of this event.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_Without_a_Summer

+ loads of radiation would smack up the ecosystem quite badly, though it wouldn't make the earth all that inhabitable

2500 Test nukes have already been detonated. I don't think we have that many anymore. While, obviously, most tests were underground, that is offset by the fact that modern nukes create less fallout.

[BlindKitty]

+ loads of radiation would smack up the ecosystem quite badly, though it wouldn't make the earth all that inhabitable

2500 Test nukes have already been detonated. I don't think we have that many anymore. While, obviously, most tests were underground, that is offset by the fact that modern nukes create less fallout.

Well, USA have about 7500 nukes, Russia has about 8000, and there is a 1000 or more among other countries. So yeah, we  have that many and many more in fact. Not that it would destroy ecosystem on any major scale, but it might happen with mass chemical/biological weapon activation.

[Sergarr]

The nuclear winter is not created just by random nuclear explosions, it is a specific effect which occurs when you strike modern cities with nuclear weapons; bitumen particles from the massive road networks go up and then they stay up there blocking the sunlight.

[10ebbor10]

Still, it would just be a really cold year or 2 (with massive failing harvests), not a new ice age.

[Phmcw]

http://rt.com/politics/189604-russia-nuclear-2020-mistral/

Nuclear winter 2.0 now with better nukes. Russia will need to attack soon or face bankrupcy, though. There is no way that they renew their nuclear arsenal and modernize their army while under sanctions.

[Jopax]

I do love how the first comment is "thanks Obama"

[ggamer]

I do love how the first comment is "thanks Obama"

my fucking ice cream melted gee thanks obama

[Ukrainian Ranger]

"The formation of the technical basis for strategic nuclear forces is going at a faster rate, and in fact, we will renew not 70 percent of the SNF, but 100 percent," Rogozin told Rossiya TV channel.

Translation: not 70% of our current nuclear arsenal is a rusty scrap, but all 100%

[Jopax]

To be fair, the US isn't that much better off. Not tech wise tho, the US has rather horrible (or has had, not sure if they'd fixed them) human elements in the system.