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The MAD principle is predicated on conventional ballistic missiles being used as the primary delivery mechanism. First strike launch is detected, then responded
by caeril 3y ago
The MAD principle is predicated on conventional ballistic missiles being used as the primary delivery mechanism. First strike launch is detected, then responded to.
In 2023, the options for hiding or obscuring delivery attribution are much greater than in the Cold War.
MAD still mostly holds, but not as much as it used to, and it's likely that attribution will get harder as time goes on.
One can also never discount the human psychologies of ego and "fuck it". No human being is immune, and no sufficiently angry political group is immune. It would be comforting if the "world leaders are actually lizard people" conspiracy theory were true, because human impulse control can never be fully trusted.
- mytailorisrich 3y agoThe reality is that nuclear weapons are not made to be used, they are made to prevent a full scale attack/invasion. No-one is going to start WWIII and/or launch a nuclear attack against another nuclear power. When North Korea builds nuclear weapons, for instance, it's not to attack it's not to end up like Iraq. Those would claim otherwise are the ones who inspired Dr Strangelove.