Boom time?

Submitted by Michael S (United States), Nov 4, 2015 at 04:07

Hi, Ugri.

"Wärtsilä"? Please, Ugri. My brain hurts. I studied Latin because I thought it would be useful, German and Vietnamese because I had to, Russian so I could read chemical journals, French so I could impress my wife, and Spanish because lots of people speak it. Then I started trying to learn Hebrew, with some success, when my daughter moved to China and married a Chinaman. My grandchildren all speak four different languages, three of which I can't make heads nor tails of. What, then, are these umlauts looking me in eye? Finnish? AARGH!!

Just joking. I'm sure you have a wonderful language -- and good open-source computer operating systems. Finland could probably build nuclear weapons if they wanted to. I know this, because the Swedes just about made their own N-bomb; but decided their defense dollars would be more profitably spent elsewhere; and we know that whatever the Swedes can do, the Finns can do, right?

As for Finland being a primary target, the way of the future seems to be to lead a nuclear attack with one or more EMP explosions. You can see by the map at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_electromagnetic_pulse, that these explosions have effects over thousands of miles, so Finland is unlikely to escape, say, an American retaliatory strike against Russia. EMP effects, in fact, increase with lattitude; so you Finns will be especially vulnerable.

Besides the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the world is undergoing an explosion of countries having delivery systems. By 2016, Vietnam will have six kilo-class submarines, equipped with 300 km-range missiles that can carry 200 kg warheads. Israel also has this capability, with its Dolphin class; and other countries are coming on line. Even the Thais are interested in this sort of weapon system. A terrorist state with good connections could modify a container ship as a launch platform, and deliver a nuclear weapon to any maritime country.

The scenario I expect, is for someone -- whether a nuclear state or an independent actor such as a terrorist group -- to launch an EMP strike against a nuclear state. That state would have to retaliate, preferably pre-emptively; but they wouldn't know whom to retaliate against. That would give us a situation like the Battle of the Valley of Jehosaphat:

2 Chron.20:
[22] And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
[23] For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.
[24] And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

Concerning Isaiah 17, I don't believe it has a modern application.

Kunnes myöhemmin, Michael :-)

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".