>How does this escalate into a total destruction scenario?
My favorite historical documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk-kbjw0Y8U (my new favorite part is America realizing "fuck, we're dumasses" far too late into the warfare they started).
That is to say: you're assuming a lot of good faith in a time of unrest with several leaders looking for any excuse enact martial law. For all we know, the blank is "Trump overreacts and authorizes a nuclear strike on Los Angeles"(note the word "authorizes". Despite the media, the president cannot unilaterally fire a nuclear warhead). That bizarre threat alone might escalate completely unrelated events and boom. Chaos.
I think this perfectly demonstrates my point that the path from isolated tactical nuke to wide scale nuclear war is quite unclear and by no means necessary. Thank you.
I wish it was a clear path. That's the scariest part. Remember that one assassation escalated to The Great War.
It'll be a similar flimsy straw breaking that will mark the start of nuclear conflict after years of rising tensions. And by then pandora's box will be opened.
My favorite historical documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk-kbjw0Y8U (my new favorite part is America realizing "fuck, we're dumasses" far too late into the warfare they started).
That is to say: you're assuming a lot of good faith in a time of unrest with several leaders looking for any excuse enact martial law. For all we know, the blank is "Trump overreacts and authorizes a nuclear strike on Los Angeles"(note the word "authorizes". Despite the media, the president cannot unilaterally fire a nuclear warhead). That bizarre threat alone might escalate completely unrelated events and boom. Chaos.