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If a nuclear bomb exploded in downtown Washington, what should you do?
The Week ^ | April 14, 2014

Posted on 04/14/2014 6:13:21 AM PDT by stevie_d_64

Funny question in the headline, yes?

But since President Obama worries more about the threat of terrorists' improvised nuclear device going off in a major American city than anything Russia can throw at us, I was wondering if the government had deigned to share with us citizens any tips for, you know, surviving something their own intelligence points to as the likeliest unlikely Black Swan event.

Well, no. And yes.

No — very few people in Washington, D.C., who work for the government have any idea what they would do if a 10-kiloton nuclear device exploded at the intersection of 16th and K streets.

You can always look to movies to figure this stuff out, right? And in movies, since nuclear radiation is BAD, the thing to do is to get away from it as quickly as possible. In the movies, electronics are fried, too, the response is chaotic, and hundreds of thousands of people die.

Interestingly enough, though, the government has done quite a bit of work to figure out what exactly would happen if a suitcase nuke — which, I know, doesn't really exist, but, for the sake of this example, bear with me — actually did explode a few blocks from the White House.

(Excerpt) Read more at theweek.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: bomb; fallout; nuclear; preparedness; response; terrorist
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To: stevie_d_64

I would hope they wouldn’t use it as an excuse to shut down the government. Well, on second thought...


201 posted on 04/14/2014 1:29:01 PM PDT by foxfield (Support the Tea Party. The Tea Party supports you.)
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To: stevie_d_64

Set the flag at half mast for 30 days?


202 posted on 04/14/2014 1:30:59 PM PDT by The_Media_never_lie (The media must be defeated any way it can be done.)
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To: central_va

If you believe Martial law automatically means armed conflict of citizen against military, you’re on drugs.


203 posted on 04/14/2014 1:56:32 PM PDT by IMR 4350
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To: Obadiah

Since you were the quickest, LMAO!!


204 posted on 04/14/2014 2:02:39 PM PDT by stevio (God, guns, guts.)
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To: Sooth2222

You might want to wait and make sure they bottom first.


205 posted on 04/14/2014 2:37:03 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: stevie_d_64
"Government never wants to alarm people."

D@mn. I thought this was a serious article until I got to that line.

206 posted on 04/14/2014 2:40:15 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: Mich Patriot

Yes. I would be willing to stand there and share the sacrifice myself.


207 posted on 04/14/2014 4:18:54 PM PDT by bill1952 (taxes don't hurt the rich, they keep YOU from becoming rich.)
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To: bayliving
While I can understand your angst over the postulated scenario, it is obvious you don't have the right mentality for living near a high priority nuclear target.

When I moved to North Dakota, I figured I'd have a ringside seat for WWIII, and so far, that just hasn't happened.

Now, take a deep breath and ask yourself, "Why would anyone nuke Washington D.C. when the most incredible assistance for jihadis who have infiltrated the Executive Branch comes from there, and the most likely source of definitive capitulation is resident in the White House?"

Some target of far more significant symbolic or economic importance would come first.

208 posted on 04/14/2014 5:20:19 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: Norm Lenhart; Willgamer; TADSLOS
The difference is that while we are sorting out who we can trust and working to rebuild, ‘they’ will be either enslaving the weakest amongst them for labor/sex, killing each other for the scraps (since they lack skills most of us possess like farming/camping/mechanical/construction ect) or both.

You Mean Half the Country will try and rebuild our Republic, clinging to old world values of Democracy and the Rule of Law?

While the other descends into a band slave trading raiders who religiously follow a (Con)Strong-Man? And who can't fend for themselves so they have to constantly take from others?

Sounds like those two groups can't peacefully coexist.

209 posted on 04/14/2014 8:25:25 PM PDT by KC_Lion (Build the America you want to live in at your address, and keep looking up.- Sarah Palin)
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To: KC_Lion

Excellent! “I don’t want to set the world on FIRE”


210 posted on 04/15/2014 9:28:26 AM PDT by 2001convSVT (Going Galt as fast as I can.)
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