This ain’t “Oppenheimer.”
Rising military tensions around the world have some thinking about the unthinkable: the potential for a nuclear war.
The New York Post recently reported on fears that Russia could use space-based nuclear weapons to disrupt satellites orbiting the Earth, potentially knocking out Internet service, global positioning systems and other modes of communication.
In a worst case scenario, such an attack could ground drones, cut off troops and even make the U.S. blind to a first-strike nuclear attack.
Bi-partisan lawmakers here, including President Joe Biden, downplayed the immediacy of the danger and the Post said that the U.S. intelligence community doesn’t believe that any such attack is imminent.
But other fears are fueling atomic anxiety, including the wars between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas.
Former President Donald Trump added to concerns when he said that he would “encourage” Russia to attack NATO members who are delinquent on their defense spending commitments to the alliance.
During the Cold War years from the 1950s through the 1980s, many in America lived in fear of a nuclear war between the United States and the then-Soviet Union.
In response, nuclear fallout shelters were built across the United States, including in New York City.
Placed in apartment buildings, offices or schools by the federal Office of Civil Defense, these were the places where Americas were to go to take temporary shelter in case of a nuclear attack.
There were 10,000 such fallout shelters in New York City, and at least 200 on Staten Island, the Advance reported.
They were equipped with food, water and medicine, and included command centers and radio communication systems.
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