Nuclear armageddon and the football

I started this thread to reply to you without going off topic and to post the video of Slim Pickens riding a nuclear bomb. Which you have to admit is pretty damn cool.

You bring up a question. Who brought us closer to a nuclear war, the Reagan or Kennedy administration? I’d argue that’s a no brainer. Robert McNamara and the other geniuses who brought us the Vietnam War also brought us much closer to nuclear Armageddon than Reagan’s bunch.

Anybody who puts all the blame on the Russkies just isn’t being fair. We put nukes in Turkey first. If memory serves me correctly that’s where Major Kong was based. Fortunately this is one instance where fiction didn’t become fact. Not yet anyway. Originally Posted by Tiny

Asked and answered:

Google says;

It's a complex question, and the answer isn't straightforward. Both Presidents Kennedy and Reagan faced moments of intense Cold War tension that brought the world close to nuclear conflict. Kennedy's presidency saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is widely considered the moment the world came closest to nuclear war. Reagan's administration, with its focus on a strong military buildup and rhetoric, also created a climate of heightened Cold War tension. While both presidents faced dangerous situations, it's difficult to definitively say who was "closer" to Armageddon, as the degree of risk and the specific circumstances of each crisis differed.

ChatGPT says Kennedy,

Question: Did the Kennedy or Reagan administration bring the world closer to nuclear Armageddon?

Answer: Both the Kennedy and Reagan administrations faced moments of heightened nuclear tension, but in different ways and contexts. Here’s a comparison based on historical evidence:

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Kennedy Administration (1961–1963)

Closest to nuclear Armageddon: Yes.

Key Event: Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962)
• The world came the closest it ever has to full-scale nuclear war.
• The Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. coast.
• Kennedy imposed a naval blockade and demanded their removal.
• For 13 tense days, the U.S. and USSR stood on the brink of nuclear exchange.
• Declassified documents later revealed that some Soviet missiles in Cuba were already operational, and commanders had the authority to use tactical nukes if invaded.
• Ultimately resolved through secret negotiations: USSR removed missiles from Cuba; U.S. quietly removed Jupiter missiles from Turkey.

Assessment:
Historians broadly agree this was the most dangerous nuclear confrontation in history. Kennedy’s actions helped avoid war, but the crisis itself was a result of aggressive Cold War posturing from both sides.

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Reagan Administration (1981–1989)

High tensions, but not as close to Armageddon.

Key Events:
• Early 1980s nuclear rhetoric and arms buildup: Reagan called the USSR the “Evil Empire,” and launched a massive military expansion, including Pershing II and cruise missile deployments in Europe.
• 1983: Able Archer 83: A NATO exercise that Soviet leaders misinterpreted as a possible cover for a real nuclear strike. The USSR reportedly placed nuclear forces on alert.
• Reagan later learned how close it had come and shifted to diplomacy.
• 1986: Reykjavik Summit with Gorbachev—while it failed to reach full agreement, it paved the way for the INF Treaty (1987), the first treaty to reduce nuclear arms.

Assessment:
Reagan’s early policies sharply increased tensions, but there’s no single moment as dangerous as the Cuban Missile Crisis. By the second term, Reagan pursued significant arms control efforts.

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Conclusion:

Kennedy’s administration brought the world closer to nuclear Armageddon in a single acute crisis (Cuban Missile Crisis).
Reagan’s administration elevated long-term nuclear tensions (especially 1981–83), but also helped reduce them significantly later through diplomacy and treaties.


Damn, that bitch is long winded!

But it's obvious he's not. Since the military and his staff are keeping him from seeing the important stuff... Originally Posted by eccieuser9500

Q) Do you know what they call you in the real world for doing that?
A) Unemployed