Doomsday Clock? Seriously???

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werepossum

werepossum

Elite Member
Jul 10, 2006
29,873
463
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StageLeft

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Yeah it's a ridiculous and in fact embarrassing waste of time. Such hubris they think they can choose it correctly at all.
 
Nemesis 1

Nemesis 1

Lifer
Dec 30, 2006
11,366
2
0
It is in fact a waste of time . What it is. Talking now ,LOL way to late for that . The min . that clock hit 12 on New years everthing changed. Now its just a matter of how many tears Fall . Than they say ya we moved the clock from 5 to 6 min . Well I feel better hows about you LOL. They should have moved it to 30 seconds dam fools.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FApaatSLy_4&feature=related
 
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AyashiKaibutsu

AyashiKaibutsu

Diamond Member
Jan 24, 2004
9,306
3
81
It's more to make people think about what's going on in relation to the satefy of the world than to accurately predict when doomday will occur...
 
Nemesis 1

Nemesis 1

Lifer
Dec 30, 2006
11,366
2
0
AyashiKaibutsu said:
It's more to make people think about what's going on in relation to the satefy of the world than to accurately predict when doomday will occur...
Click to expand...

Ya thats funny , The World has never been closer to doom than now every government in the World has a Madman behind the wheel . And They now feel safer . This clearly shows their scared shitless. So the move the clock back to make themselves feel more secure.
 
spacejamz

spacejamz

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
10,812
1,456
126
AyashiKaibutsu said:
It's more to make people think about what's going on in relation to the satefy of the world than to accurately predict when doomday will occur...
Click to expand...

How can the world not be a safe place to live? We have the UN to look out for us!!! /sarcasm

In reading a bit more about this farce, the group primarily focuses on the impact of the nuclear weapons in relation to the end of the world. I would have thought that Iran's pursuit of military grade uraniuam to produce nuclear power for 'harmless civilian use' would have had an impact or even North Korea's testing of nuclear weapons, but I am not a scientist....
 
J

jackschmittusa

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2003
5,972
1
0
The Doomsday Clock has been around for a long time.

For all of you young people out there, I'll mention that in my day as a kid, most people were sure we were going to have a nuclear war with the "godless Reds". There were fallout shelter companies similar to the swimming pool companies you might be familiar with today. Magazine articles on building your own shelter, how to stock it, etc.. Ads in the magazines for Geiger counters, guns (you could buy guns by mail-order with no paperwork before Kennedy got shot too; hell, department stores sold them as a regular check-out item), food and medical kits. We did atomic attack drills in grade school. We had "Duck and Cover" cartoons about it and everyone knew where the public fallout shelters were (we had one in the basement of our grade school stocked with Civil Defense supplies), virtually all radio dials were marked with special symbols indicating the Conalrad emergency broadcast stations (640 and 1240AM).

Everybody knew about the clock. Everybody watched it advance during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and many figured the shit was on in short order.

So no, it was not a stupid idea when it was conceived. That it continues is a reminder to those who give little thought to all out nuclear war. So, I suppose you could debate its relevance today, but certainly not its early days.
 
StageLeft

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
jackschmittusa said:
The Doomsday Clock has been around for a long time.

For all of you young people out there, I'll mention that in my day as a kid, most people were sure we were going to have a nuclear war with the "godless Reds". There were fallout shelter companies similar to the swimming pool companies you might be familiar with today. Magazine articles on building your own shelter, how to stock it, etc.. Ads in the magazines for Geiger counters, guns (you could buy guns by mail-order with no paperwork before Kennedy got shot too; hell, department stores sold them as a regular check-out item), food and medical kits. We did atomic attack drills in grade school. We had "Duck and Cover" cartoons about it and everyone knew where the public fallout shelters were (we had one in the basement of our grade school stocked with Civil Defense supplies), virtually all radio dials were marked with special symbols indicating the Conalrad emergency broadcast stations (640 and 1240AM).

Everybody knew about the clock. Everybody watched it advance during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and many figured the shit was on in short order.

So no, it was not a stupid idea when it was conceived. That it continues is a reminder to those who give little thought to all out nuclear war. So, I suppose you could debate its relevance today, but certainly not its early days.
Click to expand...
What percentage of that was awesome? And if you say 0% I don't believe you. Dying in a nuclear blast must suck but living with that over your head must have brought a poignancy to everything that younguns like me cannot appreciate, for we assume with certainty that when we go to bed we'll wake up.

Also the fun of preparing to essentially live on your own in a post-apocalyptic anarchy, it's like quitting an old job with its responsibilities and starting anew.
 
spacejamz

spacejamz

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
10,812
1,456
126
jackschmittusa said:
The Doomsday Clock has been around for a long time.

For all of you young people out there, I'll mention that in my day as a kid, most people were sure we were going to have a nuclear war with the "godless Reds". There were fallout shelter companies similar to the swimming pool companies you might be familiar with today. Magazine articles on building your own shelter, how to stock it, etc.. Ads in the magazines for Geiger counters, guns (you could buy guns by mail-order with no paperwork before Kennedy got shot too; hell, department stores sold them as a regular check-out item), food and medical kits. We did atomic attack drills in grade school. We had "Duck and Cover" cartoons about it and everyone knew where the public fallout shelters were (we had one in the basement of our grade school stocked with Civil Defense supplies), virtually all radio dials were marked with special symbols indicating the Conalrad emergency broadcast stations (640 and 1240AM).

Everybody knew about the clock. Everybody watched it advance during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and many figured the shit was on in short order.

So no, it was not a stupid idea when it was conceived. That it continues is a reminder to those who give little thought to all out nuclear war. So, I suppose you could debate its relevance today, but certainly not its early days.
Click to expand...

A group was really needed to tell you that when Russia was placing ICBMs pointed at the US while US Navy ships were blockading Cuba with Russian submarines with nuclear tipped torpedos in the vicinity while a Russian convoy was en route with supposedly more missiles
that world was closer to imminent destruction?

I know those were different times back then (before CNN), but from today's perspective, it is pretty useless now.
 
Nemesis 1

Nemesis 1

Lifer
Dec 30, 2006
11,366
2
0
jackschmittusa said:
The Doomsday Clock has been around for a long time.

For all of you young people out there, I'll mention that in my day as a kid, most people were sure we were going to have a nuclear war with the "godless Reds". There were fallout shelter companies similar to the swimming pool companies you might be familiar with today. Magazine articles on building your own shelter, how to stock it, etc.. Ads in the magazines for Geiger counters, guns (you could buy guns by mail-order with no paperwork before Kennedy got shot too; hell, department stores sold them as a regular check-out item), food and medical kits. We did atomic attack drills in grade school. We had "Duck and Cover" cartoons about it and everyone knew where the public fallout shelters were (we had one in the basement of our grade school stocked with Civil Defense supplies), virtually all radio dials were marked with special symbols indicating the Conalrad emergency broadcast stations (640 and 1240AM).

Everybody knew about the clock. Everybody watched it advance during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and many figured the shit was on in short order.

So no, it was not a stupid idea when it was conceived. That it continues is a reminder to those who give little thought to all out nuclear war. So, I suppose you could debate its relevance today, but certainly not its early days.
Click to expand...

Thats a fact . But many said it will not come to that , God will judge.
 
werepossum

werepossum

Elite Member
Jul 10, 2006
29,873
463
126
spacejamz said:
A group was really needed to tell you that when Russia was placing ICBMs pointed at the US while US Navy ships were blockading Cuba with Russian submarines with nuclear tipped torpedos in the vicinity while a Russian convoy was en route with supposedly more missiles
that world was closer to imminent destruction?

I know those were different times back then (before CNN), but from today's perspective, it is pretty useless now.
Click to expand...

It was pretty useless back then, too. Just another shrill voice for unilateral disarmament in the hopes that the empire that ate half of Europe would sudden find its heart growing three sizes that day.
 
C

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
349
126
AyashiKaibutsu said:
It's more to make people think about what's going on in relation to the satefy of the world than to accurately predict when doomday will occur...
Click to expand...

It's nice to see a sensible person stand out from the idiocy. People who don't understand the clock scream wet profanity at it.
 
C

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
349
126
werepossum said:
It was pretty useless back then, too. Just another shrill voice for unilateral disarmament in the hopes that the empire that ate half of Europe would sudden find its heart growing three sizes that day.
Click to expand...

Jacksmidt was right and you are an idiot.

The US had put the world on a hair trigger all out nuclear war strategy that could easily be triggered by accident as well, with use authority down to secondary level theatre commanders, and only one plan, all out nuclear war against the USSR *and* China even if one wasn't involved at all, with the primary motive for this reckless risk of globacl disaster being our budget to not have to spend on less harmful resources for a more fitting response - and you say that danger is 'just an attempt to get unilateral disarmament'. Liar.
 
J

jackschmittusa

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2003
5,972
1
0
werepossum

You are pretty ignorant of history.

"It was pretty useless back then, too. Just another shrill voice for unilateral disarmament" my ass.

The government used the media to remind us of the "missile gap", falling behind in the space race, warhead counts, etc. to remind us that it was a good thing to spend more on weapons. The Rosenberg trial was enormous. Oppenheimer was forced out of everything for opposing the development of the H-bomb. There was no traction for any unilateral abandonment of nukes. If it had been, it would have been booed out of existence in short order.

The clock was never a call for disarmament, only a warning. And today it represents far more than the threat of nuclear war.
 
spacejamz

spacejamz

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
10,812
1,456
126
jackschmittusa said:
werepossum

You are pretty ignorant of history.

"It was pretty useless back then, too. Just another shrill voice for unilateral disarmament" my ass.

The government used the media to remind us of the "missile gap", falling behind in the space race, warhead counts, etc. to remind us that it was a good thing to spend more on weapons. The Rosenberg trial was enormous. Oppenheimer was forced out of everything for opposing the development of the H-bomb. There was no traction for any unilateral abandonment of nukes. If it had been, it would have been booed out of existence in short order.

The clock was never a call for disarmament, only a warning. And today it represents far more than the threat of nuclear war.
Click to expand...

with youtube, facebook, twitter, etc, any actions that would threaten the status quo on the planet are broadcast immediately to the public without government filtering. People can make their own judgement on how close to annihilation we might be.

We no longer need a panel to decide how close to Armageddon they think we are. By the way, does this panel have access to secret military info to make their decisions? or are they just armchair generals just speculating using data available to the general public?

I am still puzzled that the North Korean atomic tests had no impact on the time. Unless somehow they know that the North Koreans are bluffing and would never detonate an atomic weapon, therefore no adjustments would be needed.
 
C

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
349
126
spacejamz said:
with youtube, facebook, twitter, etc, any actions that would threaten the status quo on the planet are broadcast immediately to the public without government filtering. People can make their own judgement on how close to annihilation we might be.

We no longer need a panel to decide how close to Armageddon they think we are. By the way, does this panel have access to secret military info to make their decisions? or are they just armchair generals just speculating using data available to the general public?
Click to expand...

The above is a bad joke. I won't even waste the time to elaborate, since you saying it saysa a lot.

I am still puzzled that the North Korean atomic tests had no impact on the time. Unless somehow they know that the North Koreans are bluffing and would never detonate an atomic weapon, therefore no adjustments would be needed.
Click to expand...

I don't know the reasoning, but NK pursuing nukes appears to be related to the US introducing nukes to South Korea in violation of the armistice.

More news you don't hear for context.
 
Nemesis 1

Nemesis 1

Lifer
Dec 30, 2006
11,366
2
0
Craig234 said:
Jacksmidt was right and you are an idiot.

The US had put the world on a hair trigger all out nuclear war strategy that could easily be triggered by accident as well, with use authority down to secondary level theatre commanders, and only one plan, all out nuclear war against the USSR *and* China even if one wasn't involved at all, with the primary motive for this reckless risk of globacl disaster being our budget to not have to spend on less harmful resources for a more fitting response - and you say that danger is 'just an attempt to get unilateral disarmament'. Liar.
Click to expand...

Yep I was in 3rd grade Half the class didn't show up till it was over.Cuban missle crisis
 
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spacejamz

spacejamz

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
10,812
1,456
126
Craig234 said:
The above is a bad joke. I won't even waste the time to elaborate, since you saying it saysa a lot.
Click to expand...

what exactly do you find funny?

The whole point of that panel is determine how close we are to nuclear Armageddon. What information do these scientists have that allow them to predict how much closer or further away from destruction they think we are?

How long does it take them to 'adjust' the clock? Given the high volatility of the Middle East, especially with the Iran nuclear program and possible Isreali action, I still fail to see what useful information they can provide if some type action occurs and escalates in a matter of hours. Is this not a possible scenario they are trying to predict?? The clock has not been adjusted in two years, so it does not appear they have taken this scenario into their calculation. Am I the only who think that this should impact the timeline, especially since Isreal posseses nuclear weapons?
 
sandorski

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,104
5,640
126
spacejamz said:
what exactly do you find funny?

The whole point of that panel is determine how close we are to nuclear Armageddon. What information do these scientists have that allow them to predict how much closer or further away from destruction they think we are?

How long does it take them to 'adjust' the clock? Given the high volatility of the Middle East, especially with the Iran nuclear program and possible Isreali action, I still fail to see what useful information they can provide if some type action occurs and escalates in a matter of hours. Is this not a possible scenario they are trying to predict?? The clock has not been adjusted in two years, so it does not appear they have taken this scenario into their calculation. Am I the only who think that this should impact the timeline, especially since Isreal posseses nuclear weapons?
Click to expand...

Oy vey you Fail. The Doomsday Clock is merely a predecessor to Bush's Terrorism Threat level thingy. The exception being that it's more a Publicity event rather than something meant to affect one's daily life. Any such thing requires some sort of Group to monitor the situation and decide on a level. What do you propose, just putting the Clock in Times Square and let anyone on the street move the hands?

The Doomsday Clock isn't about Day-to-Day levels, but more of a generalized urgency to deal with pressing issues, Nuclear War being one such issue. It's not about a Timeline, it's about the potential of a Global Catastrophic event. It's purpose is not to tell you when to get into your Shelter, but to influence Policy and Political Will to address issues.

In short, you're taking this way more seriously than what it's meant to be.
 
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