what a difference fifty years makes
- Thread starter bradj
- Start date
JustinLonghorn
No Purple Hearts, No Blue Ribbons
I'm sure my North American Cousins would not be aware of the scare here in the UK [ and mainland Europe ] as a direct result.
With the occupying allied forces still with a strong presence in Germany as well as Air Force and missile bases here in the UK - we were quietly crapping ourselves !
We were VERY close to the Motherland [ Russia ] and the UK missile bases would most certainly have been amongst the first on the list.
And as the UK is probably smaller than virtually every US state, you can imagine [ well, no you can't ] the devastation a dozen or so Nukes would cause.
There was also an eyeball to eyeball later in the late 70's as both sides of the borders built up huge tank deployments.
With the occupying allied forces still with a strong presence in Germany as well as Air Force and missile bases here in the UK - we were quietly crapping ourselves !
We were VERY close to the Motherland [ Russia ] and the UK missile bases would most certainly have been amongst the first on the list.
And as the UK is probably smaller than virtually every US state, you can imagine [ well, no you can't ] the devastation a dozen or so Nukes would cause.
There was also an eyeball to eyeball later in the late 70's as both sides of the borders built up huge tank deployments.
As a slightly older lad of 18 - I had a slightly different agenda.
We impressed upon all the girls we came across that we could all die very soon ...... so let's party now - 8) add your own alternative to party.
We impressed upon all the girls we came across that we could all die very soon ...... so let's party now - 8) add your own alternative to party.
HerrDeacon
Over 1,000 Posts
DrJ said:
I'm one of these Canadians that have no clue what this was about. I've heard about it all my life but have never sat down to learn about it.
VonYinzer
Over 10,000 Posts
The Cuban missle crisis was no joke. My grandfather was on the USS Essex (a carrier then, now a Marine helicopter and troop carrier) as part of the blockade. His commanding officer quietly explained to the crew that it was very likely that they would all be killed, so make peace with your god. Crazy.
carnivorous chicken
Over 1,000 Posts
Having actually been to Cuba, I would argue that it's possible to spend most of one's money to benefit private individuals and not the state, if one is in the know. And yes, it's a politically terrible dictatorship, but it's not as competely repressive as others that I have been to or worked in. People shouldn't forget that international politics are complicated, and the US (and the anti-Castro lobby in Florida) are also partly to blame for the miserable conditions in Cuba as well -- Castro appealed to the US for help in ousting Batista, just as Ho Chi Minh appealed to the US in 1945 to help end French colonialism. Trying to portray situations such as this in strictly black and white terms doesn't produce many helpful answers, and demonizing Cuba and Cubans won't help either. As soon as Fidel and Raul are gone, I predict some rapid change between the relationship of the US and Cuba.
Amazing old bikes and cars, by the way. I thought it'd be great when the embargo falls to try to go buy some old stuff up, but the prices are higher there than what one would find in the US.
Amazing old bikes and cars, by the way. I thought it'd be great when the embargo falls to try to go buy some old stuff up, but the prices are higher there than what one would find in the US.
biker_reject
Over 1,000 Posts
I grew up close to a Nike missile base. A buddy of mine was an Air Force brat who lived in base housing. He said he saw many practice missile launches from their classrooms. This was during the early 80's as Reagan was playing his own game of one-upmanship with the Kremlin. It kills me that kids have no concept of past events of brinksmanship or even who fought on which sides during the world wars. Fucking incredible.
