nuclear weapons

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2003-04-17 02:53pm

should the president need congressional authorization to use them?

Companion Cube · Post by **Companion Cube** » 2003-04-17 03:11pm

I guess it sepends on the situation, if the window of opportunity for a nuclear attack is short, then POTUS should be able to make the decision himself. On the other hand, the use of Nuclear weapons would be an extremely weighty decision to make, and the President at the time might not have sound enough judgement...personally, i'm undecided.

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2003-04-17 03:14pm

assume enemy missiles are not already on their way.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-04-17 03:19pm

No. The President, as CINC, needs no authorization to use our military forces - which include nuclear munitions. Responsibility falls on him alone. Congress can cut funding (e.g. War Powers Act), but what are they going to do to a missile already in flight?

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2003-04-17 03:30pm

partially my point - should one man have the power to launch our nukes, and have the option of killing a billion people?

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-04-17 03:40pm

Enforcer Talen wrote:partially my point - should one man have the power to launch our nukes, and have the option of killing a billion people?

Yes, due to the neccessary speed of reaction time and such (ignoring the Constitutional issues here for the moment).

Almost all of the information around nuclear launch authorization is highly classified, but I've heard that there are methods to prevent a mad POTUS from launching the warheads - and that it is not the two-man rule that Clancy uses in his fiction.

At least since the Kennedy Administration (when Permissive Action Locks were first introduced - Eisenhower did not have any use for such things) it seems to have worked out all right.

CJvR · Post by **CJvR** » 2003-04-17 04:47pm

Perhaps a better question would be if the PotUS should have the authority to launch them in a situation other than as a response to an inbound strike.

EmperorChrostas the Cruel · Post by **EmperorChrostas the Cruel** » 2003-04-17 04:57pm

Ok Closte scif-fan, let's walk through this.
Enemy X launches nuclear strike 100 missiles, and total flight to detonate time is 20-35 minutes.
That means your command structure will only be intact for 15 minutes.
If you don't launch your own counterstrike, you will no be able to, with certainty.
THEREFORE, the go, no go must be made in 15 minutes.
Congress couldn't vote themseles a 1000% pay raise in 15 minutes.
That assumes it is PRESENTLY in session.

You can't even get a quorum call in the time alotted! Much less argue and vote.

If the launch is from submarines, the reaction time is 5-10 minutes.

I can't even get my food from Taco Bell in that amount of time, during peak business hours.

Queeb Salaron · Post by **Queeb Salaron** » 2003-04-17 05:51pm

I thought they took away Dubbya's nuclear football?

jegs2 · Post by **jegs2** » 2003-04-17 06:35pm

Enforcer Talen wrote:should the president need congressional authorization to use them?

Situationally dependent...

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-04-17 06:35pm

Queeb Salaron wrote:I thought they took away Dubbya's nuclear football?

What are you talking about? Why would they do something so foolish as that when POTUS is the only one who can order a nuclear strike?

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-04-17 08:03pm

The phrase "fuck no that's an awful idea in a great many ways" comes to mind. There are already ample safeguards aginst unwarranted attacks, but if it ever comes down to it we cant count on congress having time for a vote, or even existing.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-04-17 08:09pm

Queeb Salaron wrote:I thought they took away Dubbya's nuclear football?

Dude, get your lips off Michael Moore's cock and think for a minute. Why the hell would they do that? Who the hell would do that? As long as he's President's going to have the authority to order a nuclear launch.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-04-17 08:15pm

Enforcer Talen wrote:partially my point - should one man have the power to launch our nukes, and have the option of killing a billion people?

One man doesn't. While only the president can order a launch, another person has to agree as well, a member of his cabinet, or if that’s not an option the commander of Strategic command.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-04-17 08:30pm

Are you sure? Back on Stuart Slade's board, some posters were making vague hints that there was no two-person rule unless to override an insane president (which might sound nit-picky, but it is slightly different).

Queeb Salaron · Post by **Queeb Salaron** » 2003-04-17 09:01pm

[quote="Stormbringer]Dude, get your lips off Michael Moore's cock and think for a minute. Why the hell would they do that? Who the hell would do that? As long as he's President's going to have the authority to order a nuclear launch.[/quote]
First, you have an obsession with me sucking Michael Moore's cock. Get your goddamned head out of your ass long enough to take a deep breath, and maybe, JUST MAYBE, enough oxygen will get to your brain that you might be able to realize that A) I never said he SHOULD have his nuclear football taken away from him, and B) you can't make a coherent English sentence.

Second, it was just something that I overheard someone say to someone else on another forum. And if my posting here for confirmation offended you in some way, then you can get on your knees and let me blow a load through the back of your thick fucking skull.

You wanna play rough, boy? I can play rough.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-04-17 09:11pm

First, you have an obsession with me sucking Michael Moore's cock. Get your goddamned head out of your ass long enough to take a deep breath, and maybe, JUST MAYBE, enough oxygen will get to your brain that you might be able to realize that A) I never said he SHOULD have his nuclear football taken away from him, and B) you can't make a coherent English sentence.

Second, it was just something that I overheard someone say to someone else on another forum. And if my posting here for confirmation offended you in some way, then you can get on your knees and let me blow a load through the back of your thick fucking skull.

Dude, if you had any common sense you would have realized that it was a stupid rumor and nothing more. You just seem to be one of those people that'll believe the worst about Bush because you want to.

The fact that no one has the authority to take the football away and no one that might be in sight of having that authority ever would. It's obviously some dumb rumor started by some left wing wacko and if you had modicom of sense would have realized it wasn't so.

You wanna play rough, boy? I can play rough.

Oooh, I'm so scared.

Queeb Salaron · Post by **Queeb Salaron** » 2003-04-17 09:20pm

Stormbringer wrote:Dude, if you had any common sense you would have realized that it was a stupid rumor and nothing more. You just seem to be one of those people that'll believe the worst about Bush because you want to.

The fact that no one has the authority to take the football away and no one that might be in sight of having that authority ever would. It's obviously some dumb rumor started by some left wing wacko and if you had modicom of sense would have realized it wasn't so.

Put the flamethrower down and back away slowly, boy.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-04-17 09:26pm

Queeb Salaron wrote:Put the flamethrower down and back away slowly, boy.

Scared?

Seriously, you post stupid crap solely to provoke a reaction what do you expect?

Post by **Beowulf** » 2003-04-17 09:30pm

Queeb Salaron wrote:Put the flamethrower down and back away slowly, boy.

I have very little respect for idiots... You seem to be going towards the catergory rather quickly...

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2003-04-17 09:32pm

Stormbringer wrote:
Queeb Salaron wrote:I thought they took away Dubbya's nuclear football?
Dude, get your lips off Michael Moore's cock and think for a minute. Why the hell would they do that? Who the hell would do that? As long as he's President's going to have the authority to order a nuclear launch.

Not American here, but the link between that question and your assertation was made how exactly Stormbringer?

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-04-17 09:36pm

Crown wrote:Not American here, but the link between that question and your assertation was made how exactly Stormbringer?

Because he posts stupid shit like that all the time. Basically Queeb tends to post stuff he ought to know is bullshit simply to drive home his dislike of Bush and I'm getting sick of his crap.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2003-04-17 09:45pm

Crown wrote:
Stormbringer wrote:
Queeb Salaron wrote:I thought they took away Dubbya's nuclear football?
Dude, get your lips off Michael Moore's cock and think for a minute. Why the hell would they do that? Who the hell would do that? As long as he's President's going to have the authority to order a nuclear launch.
Not American here, but the link between that question and your assertation was made how exactly Stormbringer?

Just Queeb being an attention whoring cunt.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2003-04-17 09:55pm

Stormbringer wrote:
Crown wrote:Not American here, but the link between that question and your assertation was made how exactly Stormbringer?
Because he posts stupid shit like that all the time. Basically Queeb tends to post stuff he ought to know is bullshit simply to drive home his dislike of Bush and I'm getting sick of his crap.

My question is how did you take Queeb's question and turn it into a flame-bait about Moore? Has Moore stated that the President's nuclear option has been taken out of Bush's hands? How did you go from;

Queeb Salaron wrote:I thought they took away Dubbya's nuclear football?

To;

Stormbringer wrote:Dude, get your lips off Michael Moore's cock and think for a minute.

??????

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-04-17 09:56pm

Crown wrote:My question is how did you take Queeb's question and turn it into a flame-bait about Moore? Has Moore stated that the President's nuclear option has been taken out of Bush's hands? How did you go from;

Queeb Salaron wrote:I thought they took away Dubbya's nuclear football?
To;
Stormbringer wrote:Dude, get your lips off Michael Moore's cock and think for a minute.
??????

Simple insult of Queeb since he's parroted Moore's rants from time to time.

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

nuclear weapons

nuclear weapons

Re: nuclear weapons