Surviving a Nuclear Attack on Washington, D.C.

National Journal ^ | June 24th 2005 | By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.

[Lurker]

For later.

L

[ExSoldier]

As somebody already mentioned: A silver lining to the mushroom cloud. But have you ever heard of FEMA and the infamous Executive Orders to be triggered ('scuse the pun) in such a case? All those EO's were linked together by Clinton. It's a nightmare.

[Moosilauke]

And yet, real estate values in DC continue to soar through the stratosphere. What's your typical $1,000,000 slum rehab going to be worth when the big dirty one goes off? Obviously that's going to occasion a government bail out which we will be paying off inperpetuity.

Assuming that real estate markets are somewhat rational, I guess that means that in a pre 9/11 world, these properties would be worth $3,000,000.

[Nowhere Man]

I think you forgot about the guide at the Smithsonian...the groundskeeper at the Vietnam Memorial...the elementary school field trip at the Lincoln Memorial...

You would consider their incineration a favor, eh?

True, there are a lot of innocents that would die although I really wish that on no one, be they Republican or Democrat and so on. I think on a side notw, we need to take into consideration the time of the attack, you would take out more people in the daytime when they are at work, in rush hour, etc., than at night when everyone is at home. I know it is morbid to think about but we need to consider that point too.

[ExSoldier]

Who wants D.C. to survive?

Well, since I and a lot of freepers have family either in or near there, I'd say your suggestion is a little bit extreme....

[GOPJ]

I don't think the terrorists give a damn about first responders. Their objective is to start by killing four million Americans. They won't waste a perfectly good nuke on a site already struck. Law of Diminishing Returns.

_________________You're right about this. I didn't think it though. The hitting of first responders is a technique used by Palestinians - a low tech solution to cause maximum terror. It doesn't apply. _____________________

If this happens it'll be different cities across the country and at crucial choke points like the mouth of the Mississippi River or in hub cities for food and fuel distribution.

_________________ You're right here too. ____________________

Have you heard of the urban legend about the allegedly lost suitcase nukes supposed to be already secreted here on US Soil during the cold war era? _____________________I've heard that myth, but my larger concern is some stealth enemy would sell the nukes to Osama to take us out for their own reasons... My first guess would be a country that hated us, felt threatened by us, and didn't want to be nuked in retaliation - like Iran. Or as you say, maybe some retired KGB officer______________- If the Jihadis buy those from some retired KGB officer.....

[Lester Moore]

Ammo, never can have enough of it...

So the ammo is for your neighbors that didn't prepare and then show up after the event, planning to help themselves to your supplies? And for agents of the state, which is also inadequately prepared and sees the imminent value of your thoughtfully acquired supplies?

If they come for your stuff, do not resist to the death, bro! But you really should not advertise that you prepare and think and such. Everybody will remember your words when their crisis appears.

[shellshocked]

"I'd say your suggestion is a little bit extreme...."

So is your response. Try looking up Hyperbole. I was using it.

[nina0113]

I worked off a Mormon list so I think we're square on the food. I didn't do the full year supply, if it gets that bad we'll be building a cabin in the forest. You're never as ready as you could be, but I'm always thinking about ways to upgrade our preparations.

[Nowhere Man]

Months before 9-11 my local newspaper printed a letter to the editor in which I suggested relocating our nations capital to the heartland for protective and political reasons. The heartland is the demographic center of our nation and would be the easiest to protect.

I know that has been done in history, even before nukes because with the capital further inland, it would take an enemy a much longer time to march to it plus give the hopes to the defenders where they can stop the invasion before it gets to the capital. It's amazing that during the Civil War, the Confederates gotten close enough to DC that they could have taken it if the "Army of the Potomac" failed. I wonder what the plan is if DC is ever taken out? Again, I did read a "what-if" story where the US moved the capital to Columbus, Ohio after a Confederate Victory that took Washignton DC. I like to play an apocalyptic role playing game called "Twilight: 2000" where the government split into two factions after a nuclear war with the USSR, CivGov (Civillian Government - made up of a rump Congress) in Omaha, Nebraska and MilGov (Military Government - Joint Chiefs of Staff) in Colorado Springs. That's a good thought where an emergency capital would be set up. I know in the past, we had shelters for Congress and so on at Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, Mt. Weather in Maryland somewhere and there was talk of a "Site R" in Pennsylvania somewhere near Gettysburg, IIRC.

[Nowhere Man]

I still think it is stupid to house all of our national agencies headquarters in one small city.

Hmmm, that reminds me, when the Whites ruled South Africa, I think they had "three capitals," Capetown, Johannesburg, and Blomfontein (near Pretoria, IIRC) where one was legislative, executive and judicial respectively. I don't know if that is still true in today's South Africa though.

[superiorslots]

Quote: "The offices of the Internal Revenue Service — less than a quarter-mile west from ground zero — ... collapse"
Well, THERE'S a silver lining to the mushroom cloud.



Isn't the ACLU offices right around there also???

[texgal]

Don't know how to post a link but go to www.emergency essentials.com they've got some fairly priced items that I purchase regularly and use from time to time to rotate the supply. Their soups are really good & we've found that our Yorkies like their TVP (textured vegetable protien). It's flavored like meat and keeps much, much longer than dog food. God bless and keep you all safe.

[ExSoldier]

Try looking up Hyperbole. I was using it.

You mean HyperBULL. Probably 30% of the responses on this thread showed exactly the same thing. It's tiresome and you could have realized it, but no, you had to put in your .02 cents. Some of the responses are remotely amusing, like silver lining to the mushroom cloud but when you say the same tired one liner as thirty other posters and you KNOW you're doing so.....it gets old. What might you say about the content of this story? I'm interested in that! Or don't you have anything to contribute to a substantive discussion?

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

"Well according to what I was taught at the US Army's school for Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Warfare, this is true, but they can be brought back with some maintenance upgrades by a trained technician."

Wouldn't you also need things like bomb-grade uranium or plutonium? It's not like you can get that stuff at Wal-Mart or Home Depot...

[ExSoldier]

Wouldn't you also need things like bomb-grade uranium or plutonium?

A suitcase nuke is self contained. It already has the fissionable material (probably Uranium 235) to go boom! But the other components degrade over time, the technician would be addressing this in order to bring the device online for a possible detonation. The uranium doesn't go bad.

[redgolum]

Read "War Day" by Whitley Streiber and James Kunetka.

Good book. Had some very anti Regan points, but if you ignore those pages it is very good. I personally love the lion living in the old apartment building.

[Doe Eyes]

Who wants D.C. to survive?

Well, I am in favor.

Just how much of America would you like to see destroyed? How many Americans killed?

[RHINO369]

If you had 4 nukes here is what a smart terrorist would do. Put them on boats and sail three of them into ports. A port in Washington, New York and Los Angeles. The reason to be in a port is because they have no way to check your cargo until your already in port and well within range of a nuke. The forth you attempt to sneak into Chicago in between O'Hare and the loop in an attempt to shut down many major expressways and the busiest airport. Not to mention Chicago is a cross roads for most of the country. An attack like that would immediately through us into the largest depression we've ever seen. Hell ill bet democracy doesn't survive an attack like that.

However most likely a terrorist would only have one shitty bomb and they'd use it against, Tel Aviv, London, New York.

In many ways a New York attack would be worse than DC.

[null and void]

You said what we daren't...