Some of the key points:

Postol highlights how Able Archer NATO exercise, simulating a nuclear attack, brought the world to the brink of nuclear war, as the Soviets perceived it as a potential first strike.

He details the devastating effects of nuclear weapons, emphasizing that the thermal flash, radioactive fallout, and blast wave combine to make them “perfect killers” in urban areas. In particular, he stresses that the thermal effects and radioactive fallout are often underestimated compared to the blast wave.

Next, he explains that the nature of nuclear weapons forces military planners to escalate quickly to destroy the enemy’s nuclear capabilities, creating a dangerous action-reaction cycle.

Postol explains that the only types of missiles that would make sense for the US to put in Germany would be nuclear ones and the monumental danger that would create for Europe.

There is utter lack of understanding among western political leaders regarding the true consequences of nuclear war, and a have a dangerous misunderstanding of the effectiveness of missile defenses that lead to dangerous miscalculations.