MAD requires a desire to preserve ones people.
Considering the enormous landmass that is china and the disdain they hold for their people, you have to wonder if they wouldn’t consider the loss of 50%+ of their population an acceptable price to decapitate America.
The Russians were overwhelmingly paranoid but essentially rational, I don’t think the same can be said of the chinese leadership.
A very valid point. I think they would be willing to lose even more than half. Which is why Bejing and their leadership must be evaporated first.
I have to disagree on that! The high density of the Chinese population means that under MAD, China not only loses more than half its population immediately but also most of its agricultural capacity due to fallout from a massive nuclear strike. I don’t think the Chinese government wants to lose essentially 80+ percent of its population within a few months!
-The Russians were overwhelmingly paranoid but essentially rational, I don’t think the same can be said of the chinese leadership.
You are on both counts correct.
China’s about the same size - landmass wise - as the US. However, about 70% of their population lives within 100 miles of the Eastern coast. It’s VERY high density, much higher than the US, and a LOT more dense than the old USSR.
The remaining population is predominantly agricultural, and in Western China. Not much in the way of big industry, technology, OR government installations once you get outside the strip along the Eastern seaboard of China.