In the event of nuclear war, what would you do?

[demoman_chaos]

I live in a small redneck town several hours from anything worth a damn. I doubt the fallout would even get here (though we would just barely be within the fallout range on the two areas I can think of worth hitting according to the nukemap if the wind went in the perfect way).

 

[spartan231490]

Thankfully, my location has no real tactical value or terror value for a nuclear strike. Closest target is some 50-100 miles away. My greater concern is that I'm on the downwind side of the US, meaning long-term fallout has the potential to be very high. In the event of a nuclear war, I would probably pull out an atlas and map out a route that could get me to a location with lower fallout risk. Maybe Montana or southern California.

 

[OctoberFox]

I would obviously die, just not certain if quickly or slowly. As bad as people are to each other when things are well, when they go bad people get a lot worse. The police and governing bodies in Louisiana in the aftermath of Katrina and Rita, for example. I'm not a killer of men, not in principle alone, but in just sheer force of will. If it came to it, in a post-nuclear wasteland where it's every man for himself I would get murdered in a hurry, of this I've not doubt, especially since I live in America, where other people are quite a bit shootier than I.

 

[General Winter]

Nothing would fundamentally change after a nuclear war. The radioactivity would be concentrated in small areas and would be gone within 48 hours. Only very concentrated population centers and military targets (troop concentrations and bunkers) would be hit. There is nothing "end of the world" about nuclear bombs.

I would have to disagree.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_winter

The main problem with nuclear war for most people would not be the nukes themselves, it would be the dangerous aftereffects.

Back to the original post, my city would probably be targeted, but I'm far enough from the center that I would probably not die from the initial hit.

 

[mavkiel]

So nobody else had the idea of grabbing a hockey mask and perfecting your road warrior esque type speech?

 

[Yellowfish]

I live right in the center of Moscow, my house's just a short walk away from the Kremlin. I guess I'll either get vaporised or crawl around all blind and deaf and blistered and in horrible pain for a couple hours before finally dying. There's literally no chance of me surviving.

Wow, this thread is depressing.

 

[Synthetica]

Not sure. Either I'd be dead (40 km from Amsterdam, the closest realistic target nearby), or I'd be getting to somewhere it's NOT raining nukes. We do have a cellar filled with wine and potatoes though, so you might find me there.

 

[Moloch Sacrifice]

I'm pretty much in the best place to survive.

I live in a small town with only a few thousand residents. on two sides, we have mountains for pretty much forever. On one side, we have a peat bog, and the other is the sea. We are miles from any major city or other nuclear target, and all of which are on the far side of the aforementioned mountains.

HOWEVER:
Despite the small size of the town, it has a reasonably successful university, which, due to it's location, is particularly well funded in the agricultural and biological sciences. There is a significant amount of farmland that has been squeezed in and around the mountains, and there is also a small fishing fleet.

In short, my town is protected by both distance and natural barriers from any potential fallout sources. It possesses ample food supply, and has a large body of knowledgeable specialists.

You speak of merely surviving. We will flourish.

 

[bdeamon]

I'd just not die.

 

[Barbas]

What a fucking depressing thread.

OT: Die. Or get raped then die. One of the two.

Like I said, fucking depressing thread.

Edit: Wait, I forgot, there's a third option. Get eaten. Can't leave out the cannibals.

I think you made the thread even more depressing. Like Caesar's Legion [http://static4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110310031905/villains/images/a/ae/Vulpes.jpg]-level depressing. I think I need some ice cream. :c

OT: Bummer, but I think the lucky people would be the ones who vanish in the initial fire - they won't have to live to see hell come to Earth, or pick through the ruins of a dead world...or suffer mutation and blindness.

...The hypocrisy displayed in my own contribution makes me even more sad. Now I'm going to need some Skittles too. :C

 

[Scarecrow1001]

I have been collecting bottle caps for this exact reason!
OT, I live in the south of Australia, who is going to bomb us? We're needed for materials.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Die most likely. I don't live that far from Oakland, which will either be a target or San Fran across the bay. In such a case, suicide wouldn't seem like that bad of an option.

 

[Darren716]

I'm pretty fucked, first off if Albany or Schenectady get hit it's almost guaranteed that I'll get killed in the initial blast. Even if they don't get hit New York City definitely will and with a pretty good sized bomb at that and since I'm directly up wind by about 180 miles we'll get some pretty bad radiation poisoning. Man this was an uplifting thread.

 

[Kralz]

I'd kick back and celebrate!
I really think this world would benefit from a nuclear war...
The only problem I'd have is that I might run out of alcohol after a few weeks, but's only if I live that long in a post-apocaliptic society...

 

[Nathan Josephs]

living in new zealand pretty much guarantees no risk of a nuclear strike because militarily were so irrelevant but fallout from Australia would probably hit here so...that would suck i guess. still doesnt suck as bad as its gonna suck for most of you though so ill deal =p

 

[crazygameguy4ever]

hmm.. If I knew I wouldn't survive, I'd play a video game or blow my money on something stupid to enjoy in my last bit of time on earth.. maybe find a girl and get laid one last time. then again..Im in a small city so i might survive and if i did then i'd find a hot girl and convince her to help repopulate the earth with me ... or if i'm feeling evil take over what's left of my city like a super villain and wear a strange mask that looked like Deathstroke the terminator's or one of those skull masks from the Army of two game.

 

[Protocol95]

Like some people have mentioned my home Australia seems like a somewhat safe hiding spot. I'd probably want to pack up and start running west to a forgettable place in the middle of some hills or the outback.

 

[Annihilist]

Well I live in Australia, and it's unlikely anything is going to get this far unless the Japanese are looking for revenge.

However, if it did, and I managed to survive the initial onslaught, I'd actually be tempted to enlist. Seriously - if the threat of total annihilation is as serious as some claim it to be (i.e. nuclear war would result in the destruction of all civilised society as we know it) then I'd be fucked anyway. I'd be facing my own demise regardless of what I do, but if I enlist there's a chance I could do some good for the world.

So, yes, I'd join the military.

 

[marioandsonic]

Probably scream and run around in circles.

In all seriousness, I'd hunker down in the basement and hope for the best.

 

[Plasticaprinae]

I currently live in Kansas City, Missouri. So its a.. good target I suppose. I would turn into dust holding my chinchilla. If for some reason I am out visiting family, who live in the country, then I would fill the bathtubs and sinks with water. If a bunker is available, stay in it for two weeks, get out and get rid of the dust, then eventually die while trying to survive. Not due to people, rather due to cancer or some other injury/disease I cant heal. I would also cry a lot because the situation is just horrible.