Just watched the final episode. How can anyone even contemplate the use of nuclear weapons after seeing that?
Well, there’s one individual currently enjoying all the pomp and circumstance that’s afforded in a State Visit, who would more than contemplate it.
Horror show of lies and incompetence. Couldn’t happen here? Well it very nearly did. Much earlier (1957) different physics but the outcome would have been similar.
Finished it about half hour ago, sat in the dark, totally numbed. I've always been fascinated by it and read loads about it. Got to say two things, one it's the best fact based TV series I think I've ever seen. Two, and I'll try not to plot spoil, (we all vaguely know the plot anyway) state oppression and lies can be more dangerous than even wmd. Really recommend watching it.
Hi tarntyke, the trouble is you can't put the genie back in the bottle with nuclear weapons. Only three stable western democracies have it (I wish the us would dump trump - but they are still an accountable democracy). Iran, russia, china, India, Pakistan? Israel,North Korea have it. The only counter is the M.A.D. like in the cold war. An argument could be made that it would just as dangerous for the western states to make it clear they wouldn't use it or axe it.
The USA may be a stable democracy, however, I wouldn’t describe their leading statesman as stable. Indeed, he’s just as unstable as the leaders of the countries you’ve listed above. It is indeed a sad and dangerous situation
And this is the whole paradox surrounding nuclear weapons, they are a deterrent never to be used, but to not have them would mean that others may use them. Like you said, it may be better to have someone who would seem crazy enough to use them in charge than someone who is flat out anti WMD, who would in essence nullify their use has a deterrent. They are never meant to be used as a weapon, and the only way to ensure that is by having them. There was a radio 4 drama called "letter of last resort" that captures the whole conundrum perfectly, well worth a listen if you find the time..
Scary. A truly catastrophic disaster. But on googling nuclear disaster's came across some interesting facts. Would copy to here but don't know how to. One interesting one is the Forbes insight to the scale of the disaster. It leaves you a little confused re deaths attributed to this disaster. Still to watch last 2 episodes so may become clearer.
First of all it is fantastic television, secondly it is truly terrifying, I watched all five episodes more or less straight off and it left me unsettled and fascinated in equal measure. This programme certainly did not pull any punches giving the viewer an insight into a nation and the state of the minds within that state, fear, oppression and suppression all ingredients for disaster.
I was at an Energy conference in London and over lunch got talking to a Professor from one of the red brick universities. One of the presenters had said earlier, that to meet our future energy needs , it was essential that Nuclear had to be included in our future electricity generation mix. The guy we were talking to disagreed. He told us that his brother was a Scientist who worked for the Government. Some time after the Chernobyl Disaster, he and some of his colleagues were sent to Wales and Cumbria, because there was a strong suspicion that airborne radio active material had probably polluted the water course and tracts of terrain in those regions. He didn't go into great detail, but said his brother had told him that the readings they got from their equipment they used were truly alarming. They submitted their findings but as far as he was aware, nothing was ever done or reported on. I treated his remarks with a pinch of salt, but following the TV programme, found the article below from the Guardian in 2009, that seems to confirm what the Prof was telling us. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/may/12/farmers-restricted-chernobyl-disaster
The scariest thing for me was the way the political leaders thought that the ‘experts’ were in control of the beast. When it went it was completely out of the bottle. Fast, furious and seemingly eternal. Best piece of television I’ve seen.
The fact that we no longer use Coal to generate electricity means we have had to find alternatives. Wind turbines, solar panels, Gas and Biomass are just some of the credible options , but some experts insist that although it takes up to ten years to commission a Station, Nuclear is still the best long term solution. That might well be the case, but as we saw with Chernobyl, it only needs something to go wrong and you quickly have a potentially disastrously situation with widespread life threatening consequences on your hands the effects of which, can last for years.
Best tv programme I’ve watch the 90 seconds of tv when the lads were on the roof was the most gripping I’ve ever watched. Liked the ending showing the characters in real life bringing home how much of a catastrophe it was and how vaster area it affected.
