Just want to get some perspective on what people think of the American reaction. I’m NOT asking if it will happen. I’m asking what do you think Americans will do, if anything if this happens. Do you think people will just not care or protest on the streets?
Edit: What would your reaction would be? (even if not American)
I had said this about a year ago, but i strongly believe that one country (US, Russia, Israel, etc) will get a “one free nuke” pass. Way too much time has passed since WW2 and though people know what it does, the visceral feeling isn’t there.
The first one to drop one will receive a lot of condemnation, sanctions and hand wringing but that will be it. Now if a second one is dropped by any nation, that will most likely trigger an armed conflict.
But right now, countries have become too passive about physical action and would not know how to react.
A sustained drone campaign that targets people is about as scary as nukes.
A lot of conventional weapons had and have since done massively more damage than the two nukes used in WWII. just a lot of junk sci-fi in the interceding years to make them out like this “will make Fallout Video Game” world if used once or twice.
The whole idea of the Cold War mutually assured distruction is that if one entity fires a nuke, everyone else fires all the nukes (which WOULD destroy the current biosphere without a doubt).
In the magical realm of one singular nuclear weapon being used, and in the aftermath cooler heads prevailing, the damage and loss of life would be not much more than your average IDF Monday Morning Rape and Pillage Fest.