Something You Should Worry About
(HT- Assorted Babble)
A couple of days ago, I wrote this post referencing Mark Steyn’s column “Nothing to Fear but the Climate Change Alarmists” in Sunday’s Chicago Sun-Times. In that post I remarked that I had better things to worry about than melting icebergs, such as nukes in the hands of a madman, terrorists with dirty bombs, etc.
Suzie at Assorted Babble has compiled a well-researched post regarding the capabilities and intentions of the Iranian nuclear program, and I think it’s safe to say it has nothing to do with producing electricity. If you truly want something productive and likely imminent to worry about, it gets no more imminent than this.
As Mark Steyn noted in the above referenced column, the trailer of the new Al Gore move “An Inconvenient Truth” states- “If you love your planet—If you love your children—you have to see this movie”. I would contend “If you love your planet—If you love your children—don’t turn a blind eye to the threat posed by madmen who either posses or are developing nuclear weapons. If you think a melting iceberg is the worlds biggest problem, think again!
We no longer live in a world where someone can climb to the top of the steeple in the Old North Church with a couple of lanterns and look out over the ocean to spot approaching threats. In today’s world, that threat can walk into a business meeting or a shopping mall with a briefcase and kill large numbers of people in the blink of an eye.
This is not fear mongering, it is the new reality and it is a reality we need to wake up to rapidly.
There is also much more to worry about regarding nuclear weapons than the conventional uses most people normally associated with them. For example, how many of you know what the acronym EMP stands for? I know I didn’t until a short time ago.
EMP is shorthand for “electromagnetic pulse”, and Suzie points out that Iran is either developing it or already has it based on her research. According to Suzie, this is how it would work:
While commenter ABF points out that the “military has figured out a way to somewhat defend against it”, how can we be absolutely sure that we are 100 percent protected? After all, few people really thought about the possibility of terrorists crashing civilian airliners into buildings prior to 9/11, yet it happened and we were stunned.
It is time for the environmental extremists, isolationists, and anti-war crowd to answer a tough question:
Can we afford to sit back and do nothing in the midst of a gathering threat and if these threats materialize will you be able to live with the consequences of your stated positions?
I believe we all want clean air and water, want to do what we can to reduce pollution to the extent possible, and want live in peace and harmony with one another, but can anyone actually make a persuasive argument that turning back the clock on 200+ years of progress and pretending the rest of the world doesn’t have a profound effect on us will accomplish those goals?
I’m not saying that I know whether or not the threats will ever fully materialize. What I am saying is, Are you prepared to deal with the consequences if they do?
One thing everyone should agree on is that our oceans no longer offer us protection from outside forces that wish us harm. Regardless of who is in power in Washington, these threats aren’t going away and must be dealt with and sometimes, like it or not, dealing with threats requires the use of force. We can defend ourselves or we can capitulate, but we can’t do both.
Tags: Politics, Iran, Nuclear Weapons, Electromagnetic Pulse, EMP
A couple of days ago, I wrote this post referencing Mark Steyn’s column “Nothing to Fear but the Climate Change Alarmists” in Sunday’s Chicago Sun-Times. In that post I remarked that I had better things to worry about than melting icebergs, such as nukes in the hands of a madman, terrorists with dirty bombs, etc.
Suzie at Assorted Babble has compiled a well-researched post regarding the capabilities and intentions of the Iranian nuclear program, and I think it’s safe to say it has nothing to do with producing electricity. If you truly want something productive and likely imminent to worry about, it gets no more imminent than this.
As Mark Steyn noted in the above referenced column, the trailer of the new Al Gore move “An Inconvenient Truth” states- “If you love your planet—If you love your children—you have to see this movie”. I would contend “If you love your planet—If you love your children—don’t turn a blind eye to the threat posed by madmen who either posses or are developing nuclear weapons. If you think a melting iceberg is the worlds biggest problem, think again!
We no longer live in a world where someone can climb to the top of the steeple in the Old North Church with a couple of lanterns and look out over the ocean to spot approaching threats. In today’s world, that threat can walk into a business meeting or a shopping mall with a briefcase and kill large numbers of people in the blink of an eye.
This is not fear mongering, it is the new reality and it is a reality we need to wake up to rapidly.
There is also much more to worry about regarding nuclear weapons than the conventional uses most people normally associated with them. For example, how many of you know what the acronym EMP stands for? I know I didn’t until a short time ago.
EMP is shorthand for “electromagnetic pulse”, and Suzie points out that Iran is either developing it or already has it based on her research. According to Suzie, this is how it would work:
This electromagnetic blanket does not kill people—it kills electrons. In short, it stops every form of electricity instantly and for months, maybe years. Here’s how it could be used against America in warfare.
A fake satellite crossing over America at the height of 280 miles suddenly explodes over the Great Plains of the U.S., releasing several pounds of enriched plutonium, blanketing the U.S. with gamma rays. Instantly, in one-billionth of a second, all electrical power is cut off instantly.
No lights, no refrigeration will work in our home. Every ounce of food you have will rot in your freezer. Your car won’t work b/c it starts with electricity. Trucks won’t work, meaning transportation bringing you everything you use will stop. All machinery stops. The radio and the television stations will go off the air. Planes that are in flight will crash b/c their electronic systems will fail. The missile systems will fail to function. We will cease to be a superpower in one billionth of a second.] I can relate to a part of this with hurricanes taking away our power for 10 days and other times without power for longer than a day. It was total chaos.
[The President cannot communicate w/his military people in the field b/c the phones will not work. America’s refineries will shut down. There will be no gas and no oil. The gas at the service stations can’t be used b/c those pumps get the gas out of the ground w/ electricity. Computers won’t work, meaning city, state, and government offices will be shut down. There will be a nationwide food and gas shortage within a few days.
This is not new, it has been talked about for 20 years. Only now, rogue states have the ability to put this weapon to use, and it will happen unless Iran and the “axis of evil” are stopped.] I will have to continue this with more very important and interesting information in another post. Note: Our government says Iran can do this and North Korea an ally of Iran has this ability too.
One more thing - [The Congressional Reports read: "Even primitive Scud missiles could be used for this purpose (electronic blankets). Top U.S. Intel officials reminded members of Congress that there is a glut of these missiles on the world market. They are currently being bought and sold for about $100,000 apiece."] One other note: [In one second, we would be living in the nineteenth century.]
While commenter ABF points out that the “military has figured out a way to somewhat defend against it”, how can we be absolutely sure that we are 100 percent protected? After all, few people really thought about the possibility of terrorists crashing civilian airliners into buildings prior to 9/11, yet it happened and we were stunned.
It is time for the environmental extremists, isolationists, and anti-war crowd to answer a tough question:
Can we afford to sit back and do nothing in the midst of a gathering threat and if these threats materialize will you be able to live with the consequences of your stated positions?
I believe we all want clean air and water, want to do what we can to reduce pollution to the extent possible, and want live in peace and harmony with one another, but can anyone actually make a persuasive argument that turning back the clock on 200+ years of progress and pretending the rest of the world doesn’t have a profound effect on us will accomplish those goals?
I’m not saying that I know whether or not the threats will ever fully materialize. What I am saying is, Are you prepared to deal with the consequences if they do?
One thing everyone should agree on is that our oceans no longer offer us protection from outside forces that wish us harm. Regardless of who is in power in Washington, these threats aren’t going away and must be dealt with and sometimes, like it or not, dealing with threats requires the use of force. We can defend ourselves or we can capitulate, but we can’t do both.
Tags: Politics, Iran, Nuclear Weapons, Electromagnetic Pulse, EMP
posted by Barry at
11:47 AM
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