Mineral Man wants Biden t call Putin's nuclear "bluff"

[BannedFromDU]

Star Member MineralMan (142,917 posts)

That one time when we called the Soviet's nuclear bluff.
The Cuban Missile Crisis. 1962. I was a senior in high school that October. Were we worried? Oh, yes, we were worried. We had grown up diving under our desks in school during "A-Bomb Drills." My father had built a fallout shelter under our house, with my help. I was listening to Radio Moscow daily on my shortwave radio, listening to Soviet propaganda and trying to guess when the nukes would fly.

JFK called Khrushchev's bluff. "Get your missiles out of Cuba. Now!" he told him. Things were tense, to say the least. None of us knew what would happen. He slammed a quarantine on Cuba. Within a few days, an agreement was reached for the Soviets to remove those missiles.

It could have gone another day, but didn't. We were lucky. There was a stalemate. We were then in the Cold War.

Could calling Putin's bluff work? I do not know. Nobody knows, actually. We don't appear to be on our way to doing that, though. Joe Biden doesn't seem to be considering such an action. I have no doubt that he knows things I do not know.

My point is that what worked in 1962 might work again - or it might not. We are not under a direct threat from missiles in Cuba in 2022. Instead, Putin is attacking Ukraine, a country that was part of the Soviet Union in 1962.

What should we do? I am in no way competent to say. I don't know anyone who is competent to say. There is nobody on DU who is competent to say. It looks to me like we will have to rely on President Biden and his advisors to make that decision.

Absolutely salivating for a nuclear exchange so they can blame Putin and Trump. Think of how twisted you have to be to accept nuclear war, just so you can go on what remains of the Internet to post sarcastic memes.


Anyway, looks like Mineral Man is, as usual, crying for attention, given that his contribution to the discussion is "I don't know." Know what, old guy? You DON'T know, so shut up. I will grant that Kennedy actually had sober thinkers on his side, rather than people whose FIRST concern is where trannies should pee and poop, and whose SECOND concern is how they can get six-year-olds to endorse their lifestyles. Way down on the list for the current "leadership" is diplomacy, and in any event, I don't think "YOU'RE GONNA IN FOR A PROBLEM, PAL!" will work with Putin.

Unlike Corn Pop, Putin is actually a Bad Dude.

[67 Rover]

Star Member MineralMan (142,917 posts)

That one time when we called the Soviet's nuclear bluff.
The Cuban Missile Crisis. 1962. I was a senior in high school that October. Were we worried? Oh, yes, we were worried. We had grown up diving under our desks in school during "A-Bomb Drills." My father had built a fallout shelter under our house, with my help. I was listening to Radio Moscow daily on my shortwave radio, listening to Soviet propaganda and trying to guess when the nukes would fly.

JFK called Khrushchev's bluff. "Get your missiles out of Cuba. Now!" he told him. Things were tense, to say the least. None of us knew what would happen. He slammed a quarantine on Cuba. Within a few days, an agreement was reached for the Soviets to remove those missiles.

It could have gone another day, but didn't. We were lucky. There was a stalemate. We were then in the Cold War.

Could calling Putin's bluff work? I do not know. Nobody knows, actually. We don't appear to be on our way to doing that, though. Joe Biden doesn't seem to be considering such an action. I have no doubt that he knows things I do not know.

My point is that what worked in 1962 might work again - or it might not. We are not under a direct threat from missiles in Cuba in 2022. Instead, Putin is attacking Ukraine, a country that was part of the Soviet Union in 1962.

What should we do? I am in no way competent to say. I don't know anyone who is competent to say. There is nobody on DU who is competent to say. It looks to me like we will have to rely on President Biden and his advisors to make that decision.

Oh crap. We are in serious trouble. 

[SVPete]

1. Cuba was in our "backyard", thousands of miles from the USSR.

2. The USSR had a tiny navy whose ships were of dubious quality.

3. Russia's nuclear forces are far greater in quantity and capability than they were in 1962.

Other than how MM, and maybe some DUmmies feeeeeeeeeel, the Cuban Missile Crisis is not at all analogous to the situation in Ukraine. "Calling Putin's nuclear 'bluff'" would be moronically dangerous. I do worry, some, that Joe & Kammie and Krew are that kind of moronic.

[USA4ME]

Just how does one call a Russian nuke "bluff"?

Do you say "If you use nukes in Ukraine, we'll use nukes against you in Ukraine?" That's only going to cause Putin to preempt using nukes against the West if he chooses to use nukes in Ukraine. IOW, hit both Ukraine and the West since he's been told he's getting it back in return if he goes forward. That won't work.

Russia is in too deep now. They got to see it through to the end at this point. Anything that should have been done to deescalate, like telling Russia that Ukraine won't be joining NATO and will be considered a neutral county, should have been done a long time ago.

.

[FlaGator]

I personally don't believe the Russian military will actually allow Putin to initiate a first strike against Ukraine or any other country. The potential losses will be too great for Russia and the rest of the world. If Russia were to use nukes someone would absolutely have to retaliate because of the precedent it would set. If Russia can nuke Ukraine with no response then why can't China nuke Vietnam or Laos or Thailand?

Any nuclear action will probably lead to an all-out nuclear war. Once the first bombs fly then Israel might decide to use the opportunity to nuke Iran. India my decide that Pakistan's time is up. Eventually, the U.S., China, and Russia will unleash mutual destruction in the ultimate game of last man standing except the last man standing won't be getting a whole lot.

[67 Rover]

I personally don't believe the Russian military will actually allow Putin to initiate a first strike against Ukraine or any other country. The potential losses will be too great for Russia and the rest of the world. If Russia were to use nukes someone would absolutely have to retaliate because of the precedent it would set. If Russia can nuke Ukraine with no response then why can't China nuke Vietnam or Laos or Thailand?

Any nuclear action will probably lead to an all-out nuclear war. Once the first bombs fly then Israel might decide to use the opportunity to nuke Iran. India my decide that Pakistan's time is up. Eventually, the U.S., China, and Russia will unleash mutual destruction in the ultimate game of last man standing except the last man standing won't be getting a whole lot.

Omaha Steve will be the last man standing just like a cockroach.