Outake- Nuclear War - Things todays' kids missed out on

Our thread "Things todays' kids missed out on" played host to a tangential theme that, while interesting, developed into something beyond the focus of the original thread. Unfortunately, it also became cause for discussion of political differences and opinions between nations, a function beyond the intent of the light and casual nature of the CAFÉ. The posts have been split out of the original thread, posted as its own thread, and closed as beyond the scope of the forum. - Empath

Re: Things today's kids missed out on

Today's kids have missed out entirely on the possibility of nuclear war.

When I was roughly kindergarten-aged, I remember a sunday evening at my grandparents' house in Kansas, in front of the big Zenith wooden-furniture TV, as we all gathered to watch an ABC Special Movie - The Day After, with Jason Robards and Steve Guttenberg; this TV movie is historically significant not just because a hundred million people viewed it, but because it showed plainly what would actually happen in the event of a nuclear attack, no duck-and-cover, no simplifications, just a straightforward reenaction of what people on the ground would experience. So I watched on as they showed the familiar Kansas City landmarks, the suburban and farmer families, and then the missile sites I had heard about sent contrails into the sky, and the sirens went off, and then all the electronic things stopped working for some reason, and then the flash.. I remember asking a lot of questions, "Why is it snowing?" etc. I'd have panic attacks anytime the Emergency Broadcast System sent warnings for a long time after that (which unfortunately happens often in tornado-prone Kansas..) The upshot is that I'm really knowledgable about nuclear weapons and effects now..

Here's the movie in its entirety if you'd like some thoughtful weekend afternoon viewing; it'll give peppers and post-apocalypse survival-types a lot to consider:

Re: Things today's kids missed out on

+1 ^^ I recall in kindergarten the drills, were we would close the blinds, shut the lights, and crawl under our desks with hands clasped on the back of neck.

Re: Things today's kids missed out on

Yeah, I saw that movie too. I remember it sort'a creeped me out a little. In fact, on the evening of its original broadcast (Sunday, November 20, 1983), ABC and local TV affiliates opened 1-800 hotlines with counselors standing by. ABC then aired a live debate, hosted by Nightline's Ted Koppel, featuring the scientist Carl Sagan, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Elie Wiesel, former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, General Brent Scowcroft and the conservative writer William F. Buckley, Jr.. Sagan argued against nuclear proliferation, while Buckley promoted the concept of nuclear deterrence. Sagan described the arms race in the following terms: "Imagine a room awash in gasoline, and there are two implacable enemies in that room. One of them has nine thousand matches, the other seven thousand matches. Each of them is concerned about who's ahead, who's stronger."

Mr. Rogers, the children's entertainer dedicated five episodes of his television program (entitled the "Conflict" series) to comfort and talk to young children who had seen the movie on television. (Sadly, Mr. Rogers is another thing today's small children miss out on.)

Yes, kids missed out on the world nuclear doomsday phenomenon, also known as MAD, "mutually assured destruction". (although it is still very much with us) Society moved on to other horrors. For example, the AIDS crisis was just beginning to manifest around that time (when the movie first broadcast) and no one was exactly sure of the cause at that point. It was thought to be a virus but it wasn't clear if it was airborne so patients would be isolated and healthcare workers and visitors wore masks and gloves.

Re: Things today's kids missed out on

I recall that movie. At about the same time, I also had to read the book The Fate of the Earth by Jonathan Schell for one of my college courses. Between the movie, and the vivid descriptions of the effects of nuclear weapons in the book, I awoke with my sheets soaking wet for a long time. I have very vivid dreams, and quite a few of them resembled Sarah Conner's dream in the second Terminator movie. I could see the blinding flash, then feel the heat, and then just wait for the blast to level everything. I think the movie and the book had a profound effect on the nuclear disarmament which followed. We still have too many nuclear weapons, but we've slowly dismantled the system where one misinterpreted action by either side can result in millions losing their lives.

Re: Things today's kids missed out on

CMAG said:

+1 ^^ I recall in kindergarten the drills, were we would close the blinds, shut the lights, and crawl under our desks with hands clasped on the back of neck.

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I started school in 1967, and I think by then they stopped doing this, or at least I never recalled teachers running such a drill. In the end, with the 20-megaton bombs which would have dropped on cities like New York, it was pointless. Everyone within about 10 miles who wasn't deep underground would be killed.

Re: Things today's kids missed out on

1968 for me, out on Long Island we were outside the 10 mile mark guess they thought the air raid drills were worth it.

Re: Things today's kids missed out on

jtr1962 said:

I started school in 1967, and I think by then they stopped doing this, or at least I never recalled teachers running such a drill. In the end, with the 20-megaton bombs which would have dropped on cities like New York, it was pointless. Everyone within about 10 miles who wasn't deep underground would be killed.

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I was too young to know about it at the time, but I've since learned there were several varieties of blackout bulbs that were intended for use during air raids. These would provide just barely enough illumination to navigate around the house without giving away the location.

Re: Things today's kids missed out on

StarHalo said:

Here's the movie in its entirety if you'd like some thoughtful weekend afternoon viewing; it'll give peppers and post-apocalypse survival-types a lot to consider:

Click to expand...

The odd thing is, after my dad and the rest of us came to America close to the height of the Cold War, my dad commented at how surprising it was that so many Americans seemed to believe that a nuclear attack was not survivable. He mentioned that certainly wasn't the mentality that the average Soviet citizen had. In Russia, the attitude was, "it could happen, here's how to prepare now to deal with it if it comes later."

Dad mentioned that what was taught wasn't anything along the lines of "Duck & Cover." But, honest, pragmatic measures to be taken to survive. (Mainly underground ... literally.) Some other measures as well that I can't recall what they were which he mentioned. I'll go out on a limb and say a lot of those older preppers saw that same film back in 1983. Some of those underground living pods that they're buying or building themselves look like the right way to go.

I'm just glad that the Soviet Union back then didn't realize that the vast majority of Americans were scared into believing that survival during a nuclear attack was completely hopeless. And, ironically, having developed such a mentality not through any efforts by Soviet spies operating in America.