4 ms·
It is bizarre because what is the point in having a secret instruction to a submarine captain when his home country is completely and utterly destroyed by nukes
by joubert 17y ago
It is bizarre because what is the point in having a secret instruction to a submarine captain when his home country is completely and utterly destroyed by nukes. Consider that everyone that could possibly benefit from such an instruction are no longer in existence.
- rw 17y agohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_assured_destruction http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_assured_destruction http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fail-deadly http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fail-deadly http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Hand_(nuclear_war) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Hand_(nuclear_war)
- joubert 17y agoRight, but the actual mechanism of the secret-message-in-a-safe-in-a-safe makes no difference to the well-known game theory of nuclear retaliation. That is what makes it an odd practice. No other country does this because it serves no purpose.
- arethuza 17y agoPerhaps not - but I rather like the idea of four personal hand written notes in our four missile subs, which are hopefully never opened and destroyed when the PM changes. I rather hope they say "Don't fire your missiles at anyone, you will just make things worse".
- gscott 17y agoThe point is to have the Prime Minister sit down and think about it and resolve to avoid such a situation. I thought Ira Glass missed this is as the most likely reason to have someone go through this exercise.