Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Doubts about Biden’s mental acuity aren’t the only reason to limit prez’s nuke power
NY Post ^ | February 25, 2021 | Glenn H. Reynolds

Posted on 02/27/2021 10:00:37 PM PST by McGruff

Should it be harder for presidents to push the nuclear button? That’s what some lawmakers are asking, with three dozen congressional Democrats recently urging President Biden to give up his sole authority. Although that has led to cruel jokes about the new commander-in-chief’s mental prowess, it’s actually a pretty good question.

Since the dawn of the Cold War, the United States has held itself ready to respond to a massive nuclear attack from an adversary — the Soviet Union originally, now Russia or China — by launching its own missiles and bombers while the attacking missiles were still in flight, a strategy known as “Launch on Warning.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
...while that was the big fear of the Cold War days, any incoming nuclear strikes today are likely to come from rogue nations like North Korea and Iran. They may inflict devastation on their targets, but they’re likely to come in the form of a handful of missiles — or, more likely, weapons smuggled on board freighters or civilian jets. There is no danger of such a strike destroying the United States’ ability to retaliate.
1 posted on 02/27/2021 10:00:37 PM PST by McGruff
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: McGruff

Should it be harder for presidents to push the nuclear button?

Is there an ongoing problem?

Presidents launching nukes willy-nilly?


2 posted on 02/27/2021 10:09:57 PM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: McGruff

Yeah give the codes to Pelosi or Kamala...why not the 25th amendment for the real looney tunes( plural) in the room?


3 posted on 02/27/2021 10:12:50 PM PST by Karliner (Heb 4:12 Rom 8:28 Rev 3, "...This is the end of the beginning." Churchill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: McGruff

Other reasons? Come on man! We know the reason. SloJoe is going down quick and if he becomes acting like “Weekend at Bernie’s,” he won’t know where to find the toilet paper roll, let alone the Nuclear Football or remember the code.


4 posted on 02/27/2021 10:33:50 PM PST by jonrick46 ( Leftnicks chase illusions of motherships at the end of the pier.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: McGruff

Another braying spell by the donkeys on the Left.

“Oh don’t bother defending yourselves. It’s so silly to do
so.”

Where do they find people this stupid or this evil, perhaps
both?


5 posted on 02/27/2021 10:45:13 PM PST by DoughtyOne (The Republican Party is dead. Long live the Founders Party.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: McGruff

No. Stop this.

If Biden isn’t capable then he must be removed.

Biden is being used as an excuse to mess with things that don’t need messing.


6 posted on 02/27/2021 10:49:34 PM PST by Irenic
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: McGruff

The goal isn’t to remove the ability of the President to launch nukes, no Dem president in the modern era would ever seriously consider it. The goal is to set a trap down the road in case a republican ever becomes president again so they can paint him or her as a powehungry war monger.

There’s no big red button anyway, that’s a hollywood idea. To actually launch a nuclear weapon takes dozens to hundreds of people, probably a minimum of six phone calls and four meetings, and the entire cabinet and joint chiefs of staff being woken up because they will need to know to prepare for what happens after the launch. The actual act of pressing the launch button is one of the last things that would happen.

There are probably half a dozen military actions more widely devastating than detonating a nuclear weapon anymore, and most of them could occur by accident, negligence, or under the plausible cover of accident or negligence. Nukes are just so easily symbolic.


7 posted on 02/28/2021 12:05:13 AM PST by jz638
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Karliner

And they tried to convince people that trump need a mental evaluation.


8 posted on 02/28/2021 3:02:00 AM PST by ronnie raygun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Karliner

Give the codes to AOC and watch her nuke Dallas because she thinks it’s a hot bed of “right wing extremism” because JFK was shot there in 1963. If she even knows that much history.


9 posted on 02/28/2021 4:41:50 AM PST by Hardastarboard (Don't wish your enemy ill; plan it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: McGruff

Dozens of Republicans have worked with and have personally known Joe Biden for decades. Before the “election” they were well aware of his significant mental decline and yet, they went along with this sham. Biden is a National security risk and instead of protecting this nation, they are allowing our country to be governed by “mini presidents”, who were NOT elected by the people.


10 posted on 02/28/2021 5:08:25 AM PST by Toespi
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: McGruff

RINO’s and Marxist Democrats through THEFT put this AO in office. That fact does not change the Constitution. I can just see a likely scenario: ....the Secretary of Defense tells the illegitimate President that the Chinese missiles are in the air and the President responds....”uh, let me get my committee together...I’ll get back to you”.

Three Democrats handling a response to incoming nuclear missiles is like putting 3 kindergartners in an NFL game as down linemen. This is the all time dumbest idea yet.


11 posted on 02/28/2021 7:35:03 AM PST by Cen-Tejas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hardastarboard

She probably thinks JFK is a white supremacist group. Doubt she’s read much history except maybe Howard Zinn.


12 posted on 02/28/2021 7:40:29 AM PST by Karliner (Heb 4:12 Rom 8:28 Rev 3, "...This is the end of the beginning." Churchill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Hardastarboard

AOC would ask why there is a school book depository. Shouldn’t the books be in school so the kids can use them?


13 posted on 02/28/2021 8:30:29 AM PST by ken in texas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: McGruff

Re Launch on Warning, if I remember correctly, Clinton issued a Presidential Defense Directive. It provided for launch on landing (or something like that).

This never made much sense to me. I don’t remember it getting any traction at the time. I haven’t seen anything on the subject since.


14 posted on 03/01/2021 7:40:15 AM PST by Tymesup
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson