Trump's Button!

[Mr Flyguy]

"I have a bigger (nuclear) button than you"...is this scary or not?

[Twisted Canuck]

Not really.

[buckbrush]

Not scared. Just two boys beating on their puffed up chests. Nothing war wise will ever come of this. IMO.

[cschache]

Originally Posted by Mr Flyguy

"I have a bigger (nuclear) button than you"...is this scary or not?

Not scary at all, Trump can not order a Nuclear attack first unless it is approved by congress (I think) and makes it through all the checks and balances set in place but I think if its a retaliatory strike he still has checks and balances to get approval especially if its the mainland U.S even though I believe there is a 10 minute window to do so before "Mutual Assured Destruction" is implemented, I think he is just stating a fact on how stupid "Rocket Man" sounds by trying to intimidate the free world. 2 guys that enjoy bolstering about what they have. Kim has too much to lose to send a nuclear bomb and Trump has nothing to gain IMO.

[kwantes]

Nope, not so. Ever since the Cold War, there have been efforts to increase the “efficiency” of a retaliatory nuclear strike, if necessary. Check out Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History. I think it is called countdown to Armageddon. It is an interesting ( and mostly unbiased) look at all the little steps that gave increasing power to the president.

[Mr Flyguy]

Whatever. Used to be a kid's game called "Button, button, who's got the button?" I guess that's what it's all about. In the meantime I'm restocking my shelter!

[ex811]

Originally Posted by Mr Flyguy

Whatever. Used to be a kid's game called "Button, button, who's got the button?" I guess that's what it's all about. In the meantime I'm restocking my shelter!

Don't forget the tin foil so you can make a cozy hat...

[Termender]

Originally Posted by cschache

Not scary at all, Trump can not order a Nuclear attack first unless it is approved by congress (I think) and makes it through all the checks and balances set in place but I think if its a retaliatory strike he still has checks and balances to get approval especially if its the mainland U.S even though I believe there is a 10 minute window to do so before "Mutual Assured Destruction" is implemented, I think he is just stating a fact on how stupid "Rocket Man" sounds by trying to intimidate the free world. 2 guys that enjoy bolstering about what they have. Kim has too much to lose to send a nuclear bomb and Trump has nothing to gain IMO.

You are so wrong on this. Trump CAN order without anyone checking him.

[Termender]

It's clear to me that most people here did not live through the Cuban missile crisis, and truly have no idea of the very real fear that existed then.

Nor are they aware that in the end, two adults, Kruschev and Kennedy, talked, and did not try and show who has the bigger (whatever). Adults, not juveniles like Trump and Kim.

It's sad that so many talk big. This is not a video game in your mom's basement, it's real danger. Grow up and learn from history.

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by Mr Flyguy

"I have a bigger (nuclear) button than you"...is this scary or not?

Honestly I broke out laughing when I saw this comment today. There are way too many other things to be worried about other than a President who has a record of speaking his mind speak his mind. I took that comment as one nuclear power letting another alleged nuclear power know that while you may have a couple small unreliable nukes, WE have hundreds of bigger better RELIABLE ones so your attempt at bullying us into submission through fear of what you "allegedly" have is futile. Remember, everything in North Korea is highly censored by the state so who really KNOWS what capability they have. Hell they keep executing high officials and others are defecting left and right so that has to say something about the state of affairs in the government.

While I can't predict the future, I doubt the USA would ever launch first, the global outcry would be too great. (And yes even though we did in WWII it was a different time with different circumstances and in the grand scheme of things our knowledge of these weapons was much more limited then it is now). Even if North Korea launched, I don't see a retaliatory nuclear strike. Everyone would ostracize North Korea including their allies. For a country that is in as bad a shape they are, they can't afford to take that chance. North Korea just seems to be run by a school yard bully who has always puffed his chest and gotten his way.

[wildbill]

Originally Posted by Mr Flyguy

"I have a bigger (nuclear) button than you"...is this scary or not?

Of course his is bigger, duh!

[cschache]

Originally Posted by Termender

You are so wrong on this. Trump CAN order without anyone checking him.

He CAN order it but doesn't mean that it WILL be implemented. The President does have unilateral authority as commander-in-chief to order that nuclear weapons be used for any reason at any time, the actual procedures and technical systems in place for authorizing the execution of a launch order requires a secondary confirmation under a two-man rule, as the President's order is subject to secondary confirmation by the Secretary of Defense. If the Secretary of Defense does not concur, then the President may in his sole discretion fire the Secretary. The Secretary of Defense has legal authority to approve the order, but cannot veto it.The Secretary of Defense succession plan designates numerous individuals that may serve after a President removes his or her predecessor. Traditionally, a civilian United States officer must countersign a Presidential order or resign.

[ex811]

Originally Posted by Termender

It's clear to me that most people here did not live through the Cuban missile crisis, and truly have no idea of the very real fear that existed then.

Nor are they aware that in the end, two adults, Kruschev and Kennedy, talked, and did not try and show who has the bigger (whatever). Adults, not juveniles like Trump and Kim.

It's sad that so many talk big. This is not a video game in your mom's basement, it's real danger. Grow up and learn from history.

I lived through it and did learn, so here's my take on it...

1. We didn't go to war
2. The sabers were rattled, well actually, US planes/ships and Russian ships/missels
3. The adult Kruschev was such an adult that he took off his shoe in the UN and started beating his desk, very grown up
4. Kennedy was too busy boinking Ms Munroe, he left allot of the decisions up to his brother and staff. Another uber adult moment.

No one is talking big, it's just that we can't play chicken little every time some world leader, despot or simply crackpot/hammerhead starts yelling that the sky is falling.

[Carriertxv]

Originally Posted by ex811

I lived through it and did learn, so here's my take on it...

1. We didn't go to war
2. The sabers were rattled, well actually, US planes/ships and Russian ships/missels
3. The adult Kruschev was such an adult that he took off his shoe in the UN and started beating his desk, very grown up
4. Kennedy was too busy boinking Ms Munroe, he left allot of the decisions up to his brother and staff. Another uber adult moment.

No one is talking big, it's just that we can't play chicken little every time some world leader, despot or simply crackpot/hammerhead starts yelling that the sky is falling.

Bingo

[ReconWilly]

Originally Posted by Termender

It's clear to me that most people here did not live through the Cuban missile crisis, and truly have no idea of the very real fear that existed then.

Nor are they aware that in the end, two adults, Kruschev and Kennedy, talked, and did not try and show who has the bigger (whatever). Adults, not juveniles like Trump and Kim.

It's sad that so many talk big. This is not a video game in your mom's basement, it's real danger. Grow up and learn from history.

Live in fear!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p5i0wHiNrr0

[gtr]

Originally Posted by Mr Flyguy

"I have a bigger (nuclear) button than you"...is this scary or not?

I hope we don't find out which one is the bigger idiot. Both lunatics.

[Unregistered user]

Trump's just putting rocket boy in his place.

[ETOWNCANUCK]

Doesn’t really matter,
In the event of all out nuclear war, you want to be as close to ground zero as possible.

[Newview01]

I think what is happening in Iran / Middle East in general should be of greater concern than Kim trying to sound powerful.

[Badgerbadger]

Originally Posted by Mr Flyguy

"I have a bigger (nuclear) button than you"...is this scary or not?

Scared? No.

That he's obviously a psychopath is worrying, but it is also obvious that he has no power.

I doubt Kim Jong Un would devastate S.Korea over this. He's a psychopath as well, but lacks a long arm, and will get briskly slapped by Russia and China, as needed.

[propliner]

Trump is a genius. From a recent article in Amerika:

"Trump is not a Republican; he respects what works and sees everything else as a parasite. He gestures with his right hand in a way that attacks the strongest points of the Left. They react, but at the same time, his left hand is quietly undoing whatever power enables them to have strength at all."

Same could be said for what he's doing with the other little brats of the world.

[vcmm]

Originally Posted by ETOWNCANUCK

Doesn’t really matter,
In the event of all out nuclear war, you want to be as close to ground zero as possible.

This^^^

[Sundancefisher]

In the context of Trump and all that he has said to date...the world smiles...shakes there head and goes back to doing important things.

In the eyes of Kim...it is two petulant private school brats having a staring match and my pencil is bigger than your pencil.

Kim won't launch cause he would be erased from existence in very short order.

Trump won't launch cause he lost the key while playing Wii golf.

Sun

[elk396]

Neither wants to commit suicide, Kim wants his lifestyle, he weighs 300 lbs while his people weigh 98. He has the good life, if you want to call it that, relatively speaking. Trump knows Kim won't do anything so he's pushing him hard, or the US has the technology to take out a NK missile before it strikes. There's so much we commoners don't know.

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by elk396

Neither wants to commit suicide, Kim wants his lifestyle, he weighs 300 lbs while his people weigh 98. He has the good life, if you want to call it that, relatively speaking. Trump knows Kim won't do anything so he's pushing him hard, or the US has the technology to take out a NK missile before it strikes. There's so much we commoners don't know.

Apparently North Korean Gods grow fatter with time.

[Scott h]

Originally Posted by Mr Flyguy

"I have a bigger (nuclear) button than you"...is this scary or not?

If anyone can escalate a situation it's Trump. Ultimately, I'm pretty sure he'd start a war to draw attention away from his "issues".

[trailraat]

I agree in the sense that while Kim may be crazy, he is not necessarily stupid. Above all he wants to hang on to power. Unless he has totally drunk the koolaid about the "supreme leader" (which I think is unlikely since he did his schooling in Switzerland) he knows that if he starts a nuclear war it ultimately ends with North Korea as a smoking hole.

Policy on Korea for the last 30 years has been to try and coddle the leaders into reform. We apply sanctions and then remove them for the slightest positive action. The problem is that economic sanctions only really hurt the ordinary person in a state run place like North Korea, you can bet that no matter how bad things are for the people, Kim is still eating steak. In a state run economy there aren't businesses that are hurt by sanctions.

While I am not a Trump fan, I think he might actually be hitting Kim where it hurts - his pride and power. It is much harder for Kim to maintain the guise of prestige and power when he is being openly mocked by world leaders. Essentially what Trump is doing is working to destroy the myth of the supreme leader - which may eventually lead to a coup or something similar - the only effective way for regime change in North Korea. I get the feeling that Kim is desperately trying to hold onto power in his country which is why he is walking the narrow line of appearing dangerous to the world to make other countries afraid of removing him and prestigious enough to keep the North Korean elite around him who keep him in power happy.

[funkman]

I believe trump will wait until his third year...he needs something to propel him into a second term.

[Scott h]

Originally Posted by Termender

It's clear to me that most people here did not live through the Cuban missile crisis, and truly have no idea of the very real fear that existed then.

Nor are they aware that in the end, two adults, Kruschev and Kennedy, talked, and did not try and show who has the bigger (whatever). Adults, not juveniles like Trump and Kim.

It's sad that so many talk big. This is not a video game in your mom's basement, it's real danger. Grow up and learn from history.

When you substitute the names Khrushchev and Kennedy with those of Trump and Kim Jong-Un you realize what kind of dire situation this could become. It would be hard to find two bigger idiots if you tried.

[Scott h]

Originally Posted by funkman

I believe trump will wait until his third year...he needs something to propel him into a second term.

You gotta admire someone that would start a war to remain in power.......