Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Dowding on February 12, 2003, 03:37:20 AM
-
Saw that fella responsible for 'Homeland Security' urging Americans to buy duck-tape to tape around their windows, presumably to hermetically seal their houses from chemical and biological attack.
Do Americans really find that advice helpful? To me it sounds suspiciously like the 'In the event of an outbreak of MAD inspired conflict, hiding under a table will dramatically increase your chances of surviving a H-bomb attack'.
Seems designed to inspire fear and panic among people, and perhaps garner more support for war. Perhaps a little patronising too.
-
actually you can effectively seal a "room" with duct tape and plastic. Especially against chemical agents. You only need to do so for a short time.
But thats not really the point, should something happen and the government gave no "advice" then, in particularly the left, some would blame the administration for not "aiding" the public. Just like some do know by accusing Bush of knowing before hand about the WTC attacks.
The whole "colored" threat chart thing is only there as a feel good tool. Should a a remote aircraft fly over a populated area spraying anthrax or whatever that little color chart wont help a bit. But I assumed this type of "feel good" thing is something the left usually would go for......
-
'Protect and Survive'
ROFL.
Remember that. Talk about putting the wind up a whole nation. Useless information designed to frighten you out of your wits.
Here's how to build a nuclear shelter in your own house. (from the actual leaflet (http://www.cybertrn.demon.co.uk/atomic/main.htm).
-
I was looking for that old 50s film "Duck and Cover" or atleast the song....
Its about as useful as the current version......
-
LOOOOL
If there is a nuclear explosion near to you : DONT LOOK IN THE LIGHT !
LOOOOL
Are they mad to give such stupid advices? I think the "light" would be a minor problems if there is a nuclear explosion near me...
-
Originally posted by babek-
LOOOOL
If there is a nuclear explosion near to you : DONT LOOK IN THE LIGHT !
LOOOOL
Are they mad to give such stupid advices? I think the "light" would be a minor problems if there is a nuclear explosion near me...
It depends.
You can laugh as you want, but at those time the risk was REAL.
If you are... say... 10 or more miles distance of the explotion, you can risk main body burns by the UVA, but if you look "the ball" rising in the sky, your eyes are permanently damaged.
In short, you'll survive, but become blind.
The same can be told about the "shelter" in the image above, can grant some safety if you are a certain distance, avoiding you the "projectiles" accelerated by the shock wave, or the heat of the UVA.
Or simply, the eventual partial collapse of the house.
Sometime the A-bomb is percieved as the "Armageddon", but it's not.
Powerfull, destructive, with many long term consequencies, but ONE bomb it's not the end of the world.
Just check some info about Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
-
The nuclear fallout would do the most killing. But, having spent a large proportion of my life 20 miles equidistant from a nuclear bomber base and a major city equipped with government nuclear bunkers, I should think a home-made shelter would be pretty useless.
-
Dowding, it's useless if you are under a certain distance
depending on the power and type of explosion.
And the target.
And the terrain conformation.
-
The shocking thing about 'Protect and Survive' is that whilst we poor mugs sat under our lean-to shelters trying to stay out of the fallout, our esteemed bureaucrats would be cowering in their underground citadels with food and air con.
If a nuclear exchange took place in 1980 between NATO and Warsaw Pact, it would have been, by all accounts, devastating. 'Protect and Survive' was meant to try and reassure people that they could live through an all out nuclear war.
People weren't that stupid, and knew that a nuclear war would mean the end of their world, even though the planet would still be intact. The end of their world means millions dead within 12 months. No more foreign holidays, no more fresh food for a while. Ecological catastrophe, disease, hunger, deprivation, probably martial law and a number of other less pleasant burdens.
Parallels with Hiroshima & Nagasaki are not valid comparisons with the estimated scale of a nuclear war in the 80s. Those were 2 small bombs, Kiloton warheads. During the 80s, there were hundreds, if not thousands of warheads, each an order of magnitude more powerful than Little Boy or Fat Man, pointed at targets accross Europe and Asia.
'Protect and Survive' outlined a futile plan as a palliative measure for a populace that was largely doomed to die in the event of a nuclear confrontation. Interestingly it was never issued, and remained for sale only.
If they had popped it through every letter box in the country, mass panic would have resulted, so they were avoiding doing so until they absolutely had to.
-
Do Americans really find that advice helpful?
No. Maybe you could lend us your expertise?
-
it's CYA
in this day and age it is sadly necessary
but then again we have ppl who'd walk right out in front of a bus if not told to look both ways before crossing the street...
-
Looks like Bounder blew your chance to bash the Homeland security advice Dowding. ;)
-
So that's a 'no', then ra?
Wasn't bashing anything Ripsnort. I was wondering what Americans thought of the advice - to me, it seems like roadkill.
-
Originally posted by Dowding
Wasn't bashing anything Ripsnort. I was wondering what Americans thought of the advice - to me, it seems like roadkill.
Hehe!
-
Apart from that particular advice, I mean.
-
Originally posted by Batz
o for a short time.
But thats not really the point, should something happen and the government gave no "advice" then, in particularly the left, some would blame the administration for not "aiding" the public. Just like some do know by accusing Bush of knowing before hand about the WTC attacks.
I agree what Batz said above. Its called "CYA".
-
As mentioned, sealing off windows, doors, fireplaces, AC vents, toilets, faucets, and drains is a really simple meathod to keep any chemical or biological agents from entering a home or room. By the same token, this is how the government recommended surviving fallout.
In any event - Im not in any rush to go buy plastic and duct tape, but the advice, at least in terms of effectiveness, isnt roadkill.
-
yup ..its all geared to keep the herd paniced and willing to follow their leaders unquestionably...
another chapter in the 'forever war'
-
I feel better.
I fix everything with duct tape or WD40.
-
Incidently, duct tape is a feel good measure. Think about it...if you seal all your doors and windows, then the furnace kicks in...well, you're exposed! Seal the ducts you say? Sure, just don't plan on breathing heavy, you'll need to reserve your oxygen. ;)
-
you guys miss the real point of the 'information'. it's to keep the rubes home taping up their windows so the rest of us have clear roads to get the hell outta town
-
This is why it is good to be in the national guards I suppose.
Ive got a gas mask, full uniform including C protection suit, AK-4 assault rifle and 120 rounds right here at home. Pretty safe I'd say.
BUT
I also have my son here (the other one is living with his mom right now). He is too small for the gas mask and there is no way in he** I'd be strapping on that mask knowing that he doesnt have one too.
So I'd be trying to run away from the gas cloud like the rest of the civilians, carrying a 2yrold...
I'm just hoping it never happens you know.
And that is why Im supporting the war on Iraq, N Korea, Sudan, Syria...who-ever it takes to remove the terrorist threat.
-
Originally posted by Dowding
Saw that fella responsible for 'Homeland Security' urging Americans to buy duck-tape to tape around their windows, presumably to hermetically seal their houses from chemical and biological attack.
Do Americans really find that advice helpful? To me it sounds suspiciously like the 'In the event of an outbreak of MAD inspired conflict, hiding under a table will dramatically increase your chances of surviving a H-bomb attack'.
Seems designed to inspire fear and panic among people, and perhaps garner more support for war. Perhaps a little patronising too.
It seems the new mindset in America is "lets all huddle together and be afraid", and do anything no matter what the long term effect, to mitigate any threat real or percieved, quite sad really, Ben Franklin saw the folly of this behavior over two hundred years ago.
Our Country's power comes from the intestinal fortitude of its citizens, not the strength of its military, lose the first and the second will follow eventually.
I still say Bin Ladin has won and is laughing his bellybutton off right now.
shamus
-
my wife tells me she just heard on the tv that duuct tape is sold out in NYC
-
Ductape, Vice Grips, Hammer, the complete tool kit !
-
Most houses built now-a-days are too pourous for this advice to work anyhow.... what do you expect when the main structure is built entirely of compressed lumber, plywood, sheetrock and drywall?
OTOH, the house I USE to live in when I lived in DC was one of those good ol' houses. Brick all the way through- now THAT would be worthwhile to seal the windows, vents and cut off the air.
Of course, I've already had my plan set since 9/11... when the toejam hits the fan, I'm heading south faster than a slave owner at the beginning of the Civil War.
You all stay home, my bellybutton will be gone.
-SW
-
Exactly... the public will huddle outside while the bureacracy huddles inside and releases a few public service announcements in the feeble attempt to avoid blame.
It's just sad.