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Implant Nuclear Launch Codes in Volunteer's Heart

 
 
 
NobleSavage

NobleSavage

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A better way would be to put them in the president's heart. His final courageous act would be to order someone to kill him to give the codes to the next in line of succession.
 
What would stop the president from just ordering someone else to fetch the code, so he doesn't have to get his hands dirty?
 
Jayjay said:
What would stop the president from just ordering someone else to fetch the code, so he doesn't have to get his hands dirty?
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I think the point is that it brings the whole idea of nuclear war into a personal perspective for the president. If this volunteer follows the president around, like the officers that carry the football do now, it'd be a face he recognizes and possibly someone he's spoken with.
And as the political situation deteriorates, he'd be right there as the discussion comes around to the nuclear option.

I do like putting the codes into the President's heart, though. He's always the president. The officers with teh Football can at least go on and off in shifts, handing the briefcase over to another guy. I'm not sure if anyone with the codes could be allowed to take vacation.
 
Keith&Co. said:
Jayjay said:
What would stop the president from just ordering someone else to fetch the code, so he doesn't have to get his hands dirty?
Click to expand...
I think the point is that it brings the whole idea of nuclear war into a personal perspective for the president.

If this volunteer follows the president around, like the officers that carry the football do now, it'd be a face he recognizes and possibly someone he's spoken with.
And as the political situation deteriorates, he'd be right there as the discussion comes around to the nuclear option.

I do like putting the codes into the President's heart, though. He's always the president. The officers with teh Football can at least go on and off in shifts, handing the briefcase over to another guy. I'm not sure if anyone with the codes could be allowed to take vacation.
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You'd think it could be achieved by just having a protocol to shoot someone close to the president, or the president himself, when he uses the codes. No need for a surgical procedure.

The scenario reminds me of the old cold war movie Fail-Safe. Check it out.
 
Jayjay said:
You'd think it could be achieved by just having a protocol to shoot someone close to the president, or the president himself, when he uses the codes. No need for a surgical procedure.
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Well, we don't want anyone to be able to say 'Oh, we can skip that step.' You want it to be an unavoidable fact that the president has to consider during the process. "To launch nukes, i would have to kill Tim.'

On the other hand, our current stated policy is that we very probably won't launch nukes except in response to nuclear aggression. By the time the president's gotten that far in the process that he needs the codes, the chances are very good that warheads are already targeting his position. So everyone around him is already doomed. Tim's just going to get to the Pearly Gates 30 minutes before the line for entry swells up like an invasion force is storming Heaven....
 
Nice Squirrel said:
And what were the launch codes for 40 years?
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It's an automated device that is supposed to transmit the codes to the units that actually transmit the launch orders. Supposedly very robust unit, top-of-the-line technology when it came out. About the size and shape of a VCR.

It's the blinking "12:00" in the clock display that worries me...
 
Keith&Co. said:
Jayjay said:
You'd think it could be achieved by just having a protocol to shoot someone close to the president, or the president himself, when he uses the codes. No need for a surgical procedure.
Click to expand...
Well, we don't want anyone to be able to say 'Oh, we can skip that step.' You want it to be an unavoidable fact that the president has to consider during the process. "To launch nukes, i would have to kill Tim.'

On the other hand, our current stated policy is that we very probably won't launch nukes except in response to nuclear aggression. By the time the president's gotten that far in the process that he needs the codes, the chances are very good that warheads are already targeting his position. So everyone around him is already doomed. Tim's just going to get to the Pearly Gates 30 minutes before the line for entry swells up like an invasion force is storming Heaven....
Click to expand...

Not only that but there is a negative effect of this--the president might not push the nuclear button when he should. I'm thinking of the use of nukes to ensure the destruction of a biowar site or other such Dr. No type scenarios.
 
Loren Pechtel said:
I'm thinking of the use of nukes to ensure the destruction of a biowar site or other such Dr. No type scenarios.
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Well, ideally, the volunteer would spend a LITTLE time thinking of such possibilities and be willing to say, yes, sir, i agree. THIS one makes sense.

And amusingly, we did used to refer to one of our retargeting options at the 'Dr. No.' option. Made for a handy imbedded examle during training.
 
Keith&Co. said:
Loren Pechtel said:
I'm thinking of the use of nukes to ensure the destruction of a biowar site or other such Dr. No type scenarios.
Click to expand...
Well, ideally, the volunteer would spend a LITTLE time thinking of such possibilities and be willing to say, yes, sir, i agree. THIS one makes sense.

And amusingly, we did used to refer to one of our retargeting options at the 'Dr. No.' option. Made for a handy imbedded examle during training.
Click to expand...

I was more thinking of the President case.

The problem is that it might cause the president to choose a conventional option when firing at a target that really should be hit with nukes.
 
Sure it would take a bit of time to get the codes out? Nuclear war is fairly time-sensitive scenario...
 
Togo said:
Sure it would take a bit of time to get the codes out? Nuclear war is fairly time-sensitive scenario...
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Eh. It'd take longer to decide which target package to issue.

With the exception of the Dr. No option, Nuclear forces are already pointed at targets assuming the most time-critical scenario: Them shooting first, complete surprise.

If we have time to generate more forces, or if we choose to shoot first, it's not so time critical.

Rather than a code, just make it a key that goes into the control unit, qualifying transmission of the programmed codes already called up by the operator. Stab, yank, wipe off with a towel, shove into place and turn the key.... You've just let slip the really, really big dogs of war.
 
Cool thought experiment. But I would think it would have to be the president. Otherwise the subject would become a virtual prisoner due to security concerns.
 
ZiprHead said:
Cool thought experiment. But I would think it would have to be the president. Otherwise the subject would become a virtual prisoner due to security concerns.
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Another problem: All the KGB needs to do is figure out who it is and they are basically guaranteed victory. Figure out where the guy is going to be. Take the location out with a suitcase nuke. Now launch. The codes are gone, we can't fire back.
 
Yup, another good point.

Damn, this might make a good sci-fy short story.
 
Loren Pechtel said:
Another problem: All the KGB needs to do is figure out who it is and they are basically guaranteed victory. Figure out where the guy is going to be. Take the location out with a suitcase nuke. Now launch. The codes are gone, we can't fire back.
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That's not a new problem, though. They get the same effect nuking the place where the Football is.
 
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