Russia does not have a nuclear weapon; it's all cyber, and look where we are.

[babylonsister]

They used an old video to 'prove' they're a threat?

[former9thward]

1. Yes, Russia does have nuclear weapons.

Thousands of them and they have had them for decades.

[babylonsister]

2. Their roll-out of what they did

was cartoonish and from years ago. I think it's a distraction.

[brush]

9. Why would you post Russia doesn't have nukes? I mean the cold war was not fake news.

[babylonsister]

10. Because it sounds fake. And it is.

i THINK IT'S ALL A SHOW AND DIStraction. Too little too late.

[brush]

11. I'll have what you're having...no wait, I prefer being clear-headed.

There's tons of documentation of nuke testing in the USSR in the 50s.

[First Speaker]

3. I remember reading a novel many years ago, with the premise that the atom bomb never worked...

...and the whole nuclear arms race was a hoax. How they handled Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the novel was very clever, as I recall... I remember--it was called *The Jesus Factor*, by Edwin Corley, I think the name was...about 1970. Truth-is-stranger-than-fiction, and all that...

[babylonsister]

5. Try this one. I read it last year. Salt?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alas,_Babylon

[First Speaker]

8. An old favorite. One of the few non-genre SF novels...

...that deals with an SF theme as well as the pros do...

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

14. Alas Babylon is part of the canon of science fiction.

And it's never been out of print since it first came out.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

13. Yes. Amazing book.

In some other novel written shortly thereafter, there's a subplot involving people who are convinced nuclear bombs never worked and are a hoax. Those people are called Corleyites.

[Generic Brad]

4. Interesting how the missiles hit Florida

Smack dab on the Mur A Largo.

[babylonsister]

6. Yea, dt asked for coverage, he got it. OR,

they hate him, too.

[Wellstone ruled]

7. There was a smell of seen this before.

Thanks for chasing the text.

[moriah]

12. What, do you want them to break the test ban treaty to prove it for you?

Do you require the same of us to prove we still have capabilities?

No, nuclear war isn't their primary focus, you are correct they use mercenaries, both ground and cyber, for most of their dirty work. Don't like to get their hands dirty.

But with Shitler mouthing off about "small nukes" and testing nukes and producing nukes, perhaps someone had to be the (relative) adult and say "No fucking nukes, we don't care how small, or we will take it as you want to play rough".

It's a sad day when a homophobic dictator trying to exercise undue influence in our elections has it somewhat right, but until the pResident is out, we may see more such ironies.

[Flaleftist]

15. I remember an old Cold War trick.

Where one country will make another believe they have a technology they don’t. Lots of resources are wasted trying to copy it.