The Politics of Armageddon (An asteroid could hit. What does POTUS do? - Why Presidents Gray)

National Review ^ | March 29, 2004 | Dennis E. Powell

[Lawdoc]

"You are the president of the United States. What do you do?"

Rent Armegeddon?

[GraniteStateConservative]

The answer to all these kinds of questions are: hire Bruce Willis.

[Servant of the 9]

You are the president of the United States. What do you do?

TOGA ...... TOGA ...... TOGA ......

So9

[prion]

And if you are not the president of the United States, what would you want him to do?

Nothing. Almost certainly anything he tried to do would make things worse.

Well, maybe call out the Guard to quell rioting.

[P.O.E.]

Duck and Cover?

[NotQuiteCricket]

I see no problem with somehow arranging to have the following happen:

1. VRWC Transmits message to loyal followers to move inland - leaving non-VRWC others on the coasts.
2. Military makes fantastic shot on the asteroid and splits it in halves - each half landing off each US coast.
3. Resulting in huge tidal waves and the destruction of the Left Coast and the Eastern Seaboard.
4. Huge parties held by the VRWC inland, while they plan who will now own the property with no clear owner.

There you go. :D

(I'M DONE BEING SILLY NOW)

[presidio9]

"Condi, the astronomers have confirmed that the asteroid will be impacting somewhere in the continental United States. Get me the senator on the line..."

[PMCarey]

What do I do? Well if it's heading for the left coast ... heh heh ...

[sphinx]

This is supposed to be secret. Don't tip them off.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Maxim magazine said an asteroid could likely hit on September 27 this year. The article appeared before the, uh...Paris Hilton spread.

[farmer18th]

Why evacuate San Francisco?

[NotQuiteCricket]

Or maybe I've been influenced by the Apollo 13 movie and the VRWC/Military/Corporate Cabbal could attach guidance rockets, and steer the asteroid to France?

(I'M REALLY DONE BEING SILLY NOW!)

[Carry_Okie]

Beats going to Mars.

[The Great RJ]

If the President at the time were Republican, Democrats would blame him for not having anticipated the problem, would hold hearings about why the ball had been dropped on his watch and who was to blame and that not enough will be done to help the poor and disadvantaged evacuate.

If the President were a Democrat, the Democrats would blame failed Republican policies for hindering their efforts to address this problem, seek to involve the UN and the EU in any possible solution and dismiss the use of nuclear weapons as being too dangerous to the ozone layer and instead look to solar sails or other environmentally friendly solutions. Congressional Democrats would immediately seek a new tax on all wealthy Americans and corporations to pay for the rebuilding.

Too close to the truth to be satire.

[Teacher317]

The Truth is always best. Tell the American people how many days they have. (Failing to do so allows someone else break the news to the world, with very counter-productive results.) The more time they have, the less the congestion on the roads as it gets towards crunch time. Think Spring Break Fridays or traffic getting out of the Indy 500. Every National Guard unit is converted to traffic duty, including road-side assistance.

Tell the American people where it is likely to hit, but that the precise location is as yet unknown (although the accuracy of the prediciton would likely improve by the hour). Tell them it could very well hit whatever location they relocate to, or that it may, more-likely-than-not (66% chance in the scenario), entirely miss the planet. This significantly lessens the number of those travelling inland (me, I'm going to the Rockies).

Tell the American people what they can do to enhance their chances of survival from the effects of a land impact and/or an ocean strike. Supplies like food, water, gas, flashlights, batteries, etc should probably be rationed.

Looting becomes a huge civil issue. Increasing the penalties for looting and decreasing the potential penalties for defending your property would have to be done. They would be unpopular. 1000's dead, and the thing misses the planet... yikes... but, it my opinion, better than allowing looting to run rampant. The rationing becomes a "compelling governmental interest", but only for the duration. Congress can declare that the balance of "lives versus (essential) properties" tips the other way for a few days. This still respects the Constitution's guarantees of the Rights of the individual.

[FRgal4u]

We will call Bruce Willis.

Ok - we will call AlBore because he sure has the solution to deal with this after his great invention of the internet.

In reality tho, I bet it is best for all of us to know nothing about it considering there is no possible counteraction to avoid the "hammer of God"..

[LiteKeeper]

read later

[B-Chan]

RECOGNITION

1. A possibility exists that a large asteroid could strike the Earth.

2. Such an asteroid would kill great numbers of people, and possibly cause critical economic and environmental damage.

3. Therefore, we must not allow such an asteroid to strike the earth.

ORGANIZATION

1. Given sufficient warning, it is possible to deflect an asteroid from a collision course by striking the asteroid with nuclear weapons.

2. Such a deflection mission would be difficult and expensive to accomplish.

3. Therefore, a global warning and defense organization should be established in order to allow the development of asteroid-deflection techniques and to spread the costs among as many nations as possible.

SIMULATION

1. There is no adequate way to simulate asteroid deflection techniques here on Earth.

2. The only way to gain experience in asteroid deflection techniques is to deflect actual asteroids in space.

3. Therefore, the internatonal organization charged with developing these techniques should conduct actual asteroid defection missions in space using non-threatening asteroids for practice.

THREAT REDUCTION

1. Asteroids are too large to be destroyed using practical nuclear weapons.

2. Therefore, asteroids deflected for the sake of practice will still exist, and will need to be directed into orbits that cannot threaten Earth.

3. The planet Venus is lifeless and would make an ideal “dumping ground” target for such “practice” asteroids.

SERENDIPITY

1. Venus has too much atmosphere, not enough water, and too little rotation to be useful for human beings.

2. By crashing large numbers of water-bearing asteroids into Venus, the excess atmosphere could be blasted away while at the same time importing water and imparting rotational energy to the planet, thus beginning the process of reclaiming Venus for human use.

3. Therefore, the international asteroid defense organization should begin by deflecting practice asteroids onto collision courses with Venus, thus removing them as threats to Earth while at he same time making Venus more amenable to life.

***

As for the scenario described in the story: If I were President in such a situation, I'd declare martial law in coastal areas and begin stockpiling of emergency supplies at the edge of each danger zone. (I'd also mobilize the National Guard and begin moving fire equipment, medical supplies, and art treasures out of the area.) Then, I'd announce the danger and let the people of each zone decide for themselves whether to run for it or not.

[MD_Willington_1976]

What do you do?

Pack up the wife and son, take as much food, water, 12guage ammo, fuel, and 2 ply toilet paper we can carry...We will live like royalty when the rest of you run out of Charmin...muwahahaha

All those who defy my families authority will have to use this: