'It was a wedding ring, destined to be found in a cheap hotel, lost in a kitchen sink, or thrown in a wishing well' - Marillion, Clutching at Straws, 1987
It's a vivid memory but if it was in 1962 I would have been a very precocious reader! I must have got it wrong or it was something else nuclear bomb related? It did seem to be an ongoing threat in the Dark Ages.
Twas ever thus then, as far as conventional printed newspapers are concerned?
Presumably your 'stressful' job concerning national security you mentioned must have been during the later Cold War era. I bet it probably also involved keeping the likes of the IRA in check, who of course were one of our most immediate security concerns back then in the 80s.
I read a Q and A on the BBC site this evening concerning the attack on the nuclear power plant in Ukraine (of which certainly turned out to be a lucky escape), where someone asked a question about 'how would the UK be affected had said attack resulted in full-on nuclear fallout?' and they replied with something along the lines of 'The UK is too far away for it to have had any detrimental impact on us'.
I'm sure there was mention of traces of airborne radiation that had blown over to parts of England by the wind in the aftermath of Chernobyl back in 86, but we still survived it all pretty much unscathed. I don't even remember any of it as it happened at the time, especially as I was only 9 back then, and still virtually oblivious to the news in general.
I bet had Chernobyl happened today (even without the current Ukraine conflict), we would probably never have heard the last of it from both the media and the serial conspiracy theorists!
Pulisa 'could' tell you what her career entailed Lenco, but then she'd have to bump you off.
I remember Chernobyl, I was 20 but more interested in going out drinking beer. I seem to remember radiation levels measured in the Welsh mountains were higher than normal. If you get a chance there's a very good documentary on CH5 with Ben Fogle. He goes to Pripyat on a guided tour and stands inside control room 4 where it all happened. The city of Pripyat is eerie with its rusting ferris wheel and bumper cars.
'It was a wedding ring, destined to be found in a cheap hotel, lost in a kitchen sink, or thrown in a wishing well' - Marillion, Clutching at Straws, 1987
Smart munitions have moved on a lot since then, there will always be collateral damage though.
We accept less and less collateral damage as each year passes. It is though expensive, whilst we in the west consider it a price worth paying, it doesn't appear that this is reciprocated by the Russians in Ukraine.
Well, NATO's policy announcement yesterday that it would not enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine should come as a bit of a relief for those worried about immediate escalation. Biden's State of the Union speech a few days ago also spelled out where the lines are, and what NATO will and will not be doing.
I'm getting tired of all these screeching hysterical SJW types (mainly in some MSM places and on social media) idiotically demanding NATO intervention, as if we are talking about some rinkydink 3rd world military with no WMDs. Ukraine is not an EU country, it is not a NATO member, and it has a 1,000 year complex history with the Russians in terms of culture, language and blood (massive rates of inter-marriage between the two over the years). It was a major member of the USSR, and many great and famous USSR personnel came from the Ukraine. In short, it isn't worth it for us in the West to start the Big One over it.
Now you can all shout at me about how callous I am, and maybe I am, but I am a member of the realpolitik school of international relations, and I deal in realism, not idealism.
It's all a question of how far are you willing to go. It's easy to demand NATO do something without having to determine what that is. NATO has been happy to steam into small nations with one rifle to every 3 men. This is different.
It's a big test for them because China is watching. If they see Russia get it's way won't China make a move on those already in it's sights?
I think we have to beware both parties on this one. The Ukrainian leader has twice told us of a nuclear disaster under Russia. Neither happened. I'll assume Russian commanders prefer to remain alive since they are professional soldiers and not some medieval religious nutters. We've heard how Ukrainian troops are kicking Russia's arse one minute (don't need NATO then) whilst Russia has taken over a major sight the next. We've heard how Russia is running out of supplies yet on they plod. And we've heard how polls show an increase in support for Putin. And of the foiled assassination plot against the Ukranian leader thanks to intelligence from some federal agency of Putin's who don't support his actions (If you believe such things )
The language is purposeful. It's like the Nazis, nuclear disaster, etc. It's aimed at support. It's understandable in or out of war. But anxious people need to be careful processing this because it will fit right into their worst case fears.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For free Mindfulness resources, please see this thread I have created to compile many sources together http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=168689
That's the problem Terry. Too much conflicting information (no pun intended) from the media that forever seems to keep flip-flopping back and forth, often to suit individual editorial and journalistic agendas, plus of course, excessive use of over-emotive and hyperbolic lingo. They've done very similar things over Covid as well.
Little wonder so many of us feel confused right now.
Thank you all for your posts. They really helped and are insightful. It meant I was able to relax and enjoy a somewhat calm few weeks since I posted.
Stupidly, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and of course you can't always avoid war talk and saw one poster mention that the way things were escalating in the Russian/Ukraine war it would certainly prompt a WWIII involving nuke weapons.
Just when I was feeling fine then it hit me that we're so close to being nuked.
I wish I could shake these feelings of dread. It's spring time, it's a sunny morning and I just want to lay in bed and wither away.
My partner keeps telling me it would be dumb for Putin to start a nuclear war, but I think that if this mad man gets pushed into a corner, he will have no choice but to obliterate himself and everyone else kamikaze style.
I don't know, I just want it all over and to focus just on the pandemic instead like the good old days (said sarcastically) :(
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)