So what will happen if terrorists nuke an American city?

[ringmastery]

Suppose the unthinkable happens, sometime this summer, terrorists set off a backpack nuke in New York and 100,000 people die instantly with hundreds of thousands more contaminated with radiation.

Panic ensues across the country. People start leaving big cities in droves to the country and rural areas. The U.S. economy and stock market crashes. Does the government collapse?

You might think this is paranoia but Kerry thought the scenario was serious enough to discuss nuclear terrorism as this country's biggest threat.

Seriously, can one nuclear bomb destroy the entire economy and infrastructure of the U.S?

[cmayer]

1. Economy, yes. Infrastructure, no.

The economy would rebuild quickly, but to a much lower baseline.

[phantom power]

2. only if everyone panics

But then, that's quite likely. So, yes, it could decimate our economy, at least temporarily.

There's a certain amount of economic activity that's probably baseline. People have to go to work, buy food/clothing/shelter, etc. I doubt that even that horrible scenario would completely shut down the economy.

[natrat]

11. well if its "just" a dirty bomb designed to freak people

out there would be panic but that might be it. One of the real bombs exploding would render entire sections of the country inhabitable. The latter ,it seems to me, would be pretty hardcore.

[Cyrano]

3. Martial law

and canceled election. If the unthinkable happens, my first suspects will be BushCo. Paranoid? Maybe, but I really believe these thugs are capable of anything.

(On edit: Even if BushCo isn't responsible, they'll be ecstatic that they won't have to put up with Air America anymore.)

[Rancherman]

4. nuke an american city

If terrorists actually nuked an american city, then look for the fed gov to declare martial law and suspend the constitution and the bill of rights too, taxes would go up to provide for all the relief to the city and funds to other programs would end up going onto the back burner.

[newyawker99]

26. Hi Rancherman!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Stew225]

5. Pardon my naievet (hell, I forgot how to spell

naivete') Screw it! Pardon my naive query but as horrid as the scenery depicted in your hypothesis is, I would like to ask why this hasn't happened already. Of course, I'm thankful that it hasn't and even thinking about it makes me cringe, but what with the nukes from the former Soviet Union, etc., what has prevented something catastrophic like this from having already happened?

Of course, there are scads (and scuds) of whackos that pervade our planet, but isn't it odd that none of them has pulled anything nuclear off yet? It's one of those mysteries of life, analogous to, I think, having the first Chimp as the leader of the free world. Is our security as really, really good as it seems? We might have an idea why the more than 142 fail safe systems, uh failed, on 9/11; but other than that, we sure seem to be able to prevent the unthinkable.

I'm sorry that I've tried to answer the question with a series of questions, but I'm a pretty questionable guy.

Pax Vobiscum!

[VolcanoJen]

6. Well, that is the unthinkable, and national panic would result.

It would most certainly freak me the hell out... it wouldn't change my vote, of course, but it would be terrifying, the unthinkable, the thing I thought would never happen in my lifetime.

World panic might also result... it would be a global event, no matter where it occurred.

Of course, if human beings are willing to inflict that kind of devastation on each other again, I'm not 100% certain I'd want to be a survivor and to see the world after the event.

I'm not willing to take it out that far yet... but a nuclear event in my lifetime would devastate me personally.

[phantom power]

7. Pet peeve: using the adjective "unthinkable"

It's a self-falsifying adjective. If I say "Scenario X is unthinkable", that's wrong on the face of it, since I must have thought about it in order to say it.

[evil_orange_cat]

8. IMO, people just need a better imagination...

;)

[LibertyorDeath]

12. Thanks for that by "unthinkable"

They mean to horrible to contemplate but you knew that.

Relax

[moosedog]

15. Scary, but....

I heard that there are lots of bunkers around for some of the people. Of course that is just tin hat talk.

[Pepperbelly]

28. Pet peeves are my pet peeve.

Now, THAT is irony.

[kentuck]

9. We would invade either Syria, Iran, or Syria....

or perhaps another nation...

[Taylor Mason Powell]

13. Iran, maybe.

;-)

[TankLV]

25. Bunkerboy would invade ANYBODY.

He wouldn't particularly care who it was, JUST AS LONG AS HE GOT REVENGE ON SOMEONE! It would be another of his "hunches" with the help of his PNAC buddies.

Of that we can be certain.

That is the most scary result of all.

The rest of the world that has WMD better do some game planning to checkmate the thugs that control the USA now. I would hope they would send thru back channels - in no uncertain terms - that a US premptive, go-it-alone decision to retaliate would be completely unacceptable and would immediately result in a similar reprisal on the US.

MAAD was has kept the peace for this long, until bunkerboy and his gang of criminals threw everything overboard.

[Deja Q]

10. Blowing up the QitQat oil refinery in Saudi Arabia would be better.

It processes 80% of Saudi Arabian oil. I forgot the name of the city, but they boasted the name last night on the evening news. The two Q's are in correct position and it's a 6 letter city. Either way, bushco* feels it's safe to tell that to the world. :eyes: Obviously, I could care less about the city's name and if the US media knows it, you can bet your sweet bippy that the nasty people know more about it than we now do.

If we need 40% of our oil needs from the Saudis, destroying that would mean the end.

It would take the end of oil or multiple nukes to have any serious effect on this country.

And let's pray it NEVER EVER happens. I'm sick of the violence and killing.

[voice of reason]

16. Abqaiq complex

. . . the country's top oil-processing facility, just 24 miles inland from the Gulf of Bahrain. After an attack there, production would slow from some 6.8 million barrels per day to a mere 1 million barrels, a loss equal to one-third of America's daily consumption. . . .

If all that oil is taken out of play, all bets are off.

v.o.r.

[Pillowbiter]

14. Don't worry

Cheney has a non-elected shadow government that is non-partisan (i.e. no democrats) set up and ready to go already.

PB

[RC]

19. The next terrorist attack was planned before they stole office.

Why the shadow government, why the so called Patriot Act with its constitution nullifying verbiage. Why all the unsigning of all those international treaties.

The next terrorist attack will be their excuse to suspend the rest of the Constitution and declare Marital Law.

[Unperson 309]

27. Marital Law! Oh, MY!

The Missus won't like THAT...

309

[maxsolomon]

17. what would happen if my aunt had balls?

not gonna happen.

but keep buying the shit they're selling!

[JayS]

20. We have had accidental blasts that took out a good chunk of...

...a city before and involved fertilizer. This would not be hard to do on purpose.

[maveric]

18. RW, Fundie, gun nuts will take to the streets thinking its the "Rapture"

And will be shooting everyone they think is a terrorist or unworthy to live, and to try to fulfill the biblical prophecy.

[Texican]

21. Somtehing Similar Has Happened

I forget which city it was in S. America where it occured but a good bit of medical radioactive material was released. A large neighborrhood had to be carted away and left in permanent storage in a remote location. It was a monumental job to just clean up one neighborhood. Depending on how effective the dirty bomb was, a large city might simply have to be abandoned. Probably not too much loss of life thoough.

[hunter]

22. Or what if there's a big earthquake or hurricane?

Those are bigger than bombs, especially any bomb a terrorist might make. (Big womping earthquake or hurricane sized H-bombs are a specialty item, they are not so easy to make as A-bombs.)

I think people would actually be attracted to radioactive cities because of the business opportunities and cheap real estate. Think of all the people who smoke -- they know it's bad for them, but they still do it.

Actually I think the current economy is a house of cards. It won't take much to knock it over, certainly not a "backpack nuke." I think Greenspan sneezing at the wrong time could do it.

[ElementaryPenguin]

23. Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld will be HUNG FOR TREASON!!

Just in case they're thinking of MIHOPing us again! EVERYONE IS NOW ON TO THEM!!!

:mad:

[arcos]

24. Military government... that's what Gen. Franks said.... n/t

[Alerter_]

29. Corporations would form a government, and cooperate with NS/CDC

Whichever corporations have the most real estate, assets, and money in some particular location will organize with their neighboring corporate powers and form a governmental network. The National Security system will be paid by them, and provide protection.

It would take about one year to have a highly efficent, smooth system. The first thing they would do is have elections, voting, and "democracy" on no-ballot touch-screens.

In fact, they have so much contempt for the average American I bet they will seriously, purposefully, blur the line between democratic elections and voting on Survivor and America Superstar and the like.

[lanparty]

30. You mean ...

What happens if BUSH nukes a US city and blames it on terrorists. If it was ANY city, it would probably be Chicago.

Far-fetched you say. Well he did it on 9/11. Why not do it again!!!!!