brucec@iddic.UUCP (06/13/84)
Thanks for the info on the "Nuclear Winter" articles. I'll try to
check 'em out. Some comments on your other thoughts:
1) You are unlikely to survive a head-on collision with a
Mack truck at 60 mph, but does this mean that you don't
wear a seatbelt, use your headlights, turn signals, etc?
A 'worst case' scenario can always be postulated to point
out that ANY course of action is ultimately futile (i.e. there
is a wave of radiation heading toward earth from the center
of our galaxy which is GUARANTEED to wipe out life on earth,
lucky for us it won't be here for 20 million years). But such
postulates aren't all that useful. The 'survivalist' message,
as characterized by Dr. Bruce Clayton in "Life After Doomsday",
is that there are REASONABLE steps that can be taken to significantly
increase your chances of surviving just about anything, even
"all-out nuclear war, toe-to-toe with the Rooskies."
2) I hope your list of preparations was not in priority. Guns are
real low on my list. That approach is shallow, useful only in a small
range of very bleak scenario's and requires an investment of time
and money that could be better spent elsewhere (becoming an amateur
radio operator for example).
Thanks again, tektronix!iddic!brucec