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593 points geox | 3 comments | | HN request time: 0.418s | source
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mrtksn ◴[] No.44449745[source]
Right, nice savings and opportunities for fossil energy industry. Good job.

So what is the plan for handling the US nuclear warhead stockpile as the empire crumbles? I'm worried about billionaires with nukes. Maybe not the person directly but people behind all that envision super wealthy city-states and I totally expect those to have nukes.

The nuclear codes won't stop anyone with time and engineers. These are intended for physically arming the strong link in the warhead that is supposed to send the signal to the exclusion zone but someone with unrestricted access should be able to override it and send the signal directly. Although over the years the mechanical systems were replaced with electronics that eventually become encrypted microelectronics, IIUC the actual device that does the kaboom remained with its original design and applying voltage will be able to trigger it. Safe against rough handlers(i.e. crazy solders) but won't stop people with unrestricted access.

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Henchman21 ◴[] No.44449760[source]
There is no plan, and I am not sure why you’d think otherwise?
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1. mrtksn ◴[] No.44449787[source]
I think there must be a plan after the USSR collapse. Somehow they did not let rough agents obtaining the warheads but there were enough rumors, literature and media around it to prompt a consideration IMHO.
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2. KerrAvon ◴[] No.44449865[source]
tl;dr: the Soviet state didn't collapse in the manner of a zombie apocalypse or environmental catastrophe, it collapsed politically; there was continuity in command / control until the weapons were all moved back physically into Russia.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/16mab9x/when...

3. johannes1234321 ◴[] No.44449905[source]
By the time you could act it's too late, if you don't want to dismantle the nukes independently. It's a consequence of the existence.

Just imagine Biden having commanded to trigger a process which destroys the nuclear material (by triggering some degeneratio process or something) would that have been accepted or would everybody have said that limits U.S.'s strategic options permantly in too high degree?