Originally Posted by Contendahh:
Details at
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013...-silos-was-00000000/
Excerpt and "teaser":
<<<So to recap, for around 20 years, the Strategic Air Command went out of their way to make launching a nuclear missile as easy, and quick, as possible. To be fair, they had their reasons, such as the fact that the soldiers in the silos in the case of a real nuclear war may have needed to be able to launch the missiles without being able to contact anyone on the outside. That said, their actions were in direct violation of the orders of the Commander-in-Chief, the President of the United States, during a time of extreme nuclear tension. Further, not activating this sa***uard and lax security ensured that with very little planning, someone with three friends who had a mind to, could have started World War III.>>>
==================
A much scarier scenario is the case of the Soviet submarine, armed with nuclear warheads during the Cuban embargo, for whatever reason lost communication with Moscow. Most of the crew decided that WWlll had already started, and decided to launch nuclear weapons. One man ,Vasli Arkhpov ,a top commander, had to make the decision to do so, and he decided not to.
You may never have heard his name, but he is a true world hero.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasili_Arkhipov
Also during that period, all JFK's defense advisers, advised him to invade Cuba. Unknown to anybody in the US, was that Cuba already had nuclear tipped missiles that could reach most of South Fla, and nuclear tactical weapons as well. and they were ordered to use them if the US invaded. JFK made the correct decision to negotiate rather than invade.
I am scared to even think, that if we had a W Bush cowboy as president, (or any of the current warmongers) instead of a statesman at that time, what could have happened. All I can say is "Thank God we had JFK"