Congress warned North Korean EMP attack would kill '90% of all Americans'

90%, eh?

Well that's far-fetched as all hell. Then again, if we really were that dependent on electricity and tech for survival, we'd probably deserve an EMP to "wipe us out". Darwin Awards would be quite busy handing themselves out at breakneck speed.

a reply to: jrod

Not the blast of course. The after effects could be highly problematic for us. No doubt.

But the figure comes, literally, from a work of fiction and is pretty much pure speculation (though science based, somewhat).

But, if it's supposed to be simple fear mongering, is a plain old nuke hitting any random large city not the same thing?

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

Lets not forget North Korea still holds a grudge after we killed 20%+ of their population and destroyed almost all their infrastructure including dams and farm land.

North Korea believes in generational punishment. I doubt they will forget much less forgive what the US did to them back in the 1950's.

a reply to: seasonal

They have an EMP? I call BS and think this is just more positioning to get the US into another war. This is WMD's all over again.

An EMP big enough to take out our entire power grid? Can they control the sun? This is BS of the BSiest magnitude.

a reply to: seasonal

Congress was warned Thursday that North Korea is capable of attacking the U.S. today with a nuclear EMP bomb that could indefinitely shut down the electric power grid and kill 90 percent of "all Americans" within a year.

This is media generated bulls***. Bombs destroy stuff by hitting their target. They incinerate with heat, blast and fallout, and whats left burns in the firestorm.

EMP is not going to "definitely shut down the electric power grid" , anyone claiming that is unfamiliar wth the effects of nuclear weapons.

More anti NK rhetoric. I get it though, gotta make stuff up because they really aren't a threat to world peace, the United States is.

I believe the 90% number. One Second After is a great book. Although obviously fiction, the author does an excellent job detailing why so many people would die within the year.

He goes into great detail outlining how people at first would not panic thinking the power would come back on and then as it becomes apparent that it won't anytime soon, how society quick falls into chaos.

There is only about three days of food in grocery stores. The author also goes into what happens to the elderly and people who are dependent upon medicine. He also discusses the dynamics of the criminal element who seek to take advantage of the situation along with jealousy that arises when some people are prepared and others aren't.,

I think the general public really doesn't get how thin the veneer of civilized society really is...

a reply to: Blaine91555

I'd be fine, most people up here would be just fine. We have lots of resources and know how to use them.

That's a fact.

I burn wood and run a gas stove. Plenty of wild life around,
and a tight knit community. We would be ok here as well,
but winter is coming,
and places like Minnesota and the upper midwest of the US would become frozen grave yards for a lot of people.

a reply to: TobyFlenderson

An EMP big enough to take out our entire power grid?

Supposedly Russia has developed a weapon which has the potential of doing so. With output of 200 kV/meter. At least, that's what they said.

I think they are exaggerating a bit. I asked an advanced electrician about EMPs. He said your car would die temporarily, but restart after the magnet charged particles had passed. He also thought that potential long term damage to the entire grid was being over hyped.

originally posted by: jrod
Lol.

This is great...on climate related threads the OP calls people who are concerned about the human impact as fear mongorers.

Now the OP is posting a fear mongoreing propaganda piece...

Keep it classy.

No way in hell EMP blasts can take out 90% of the population. The people writing this are sensationalizing to sell fear.

Point out any time I have every called anyone fear mongers. Never happened.

a reply to: visitedbythem

He said your car would die temporarily, but restart after the magnet charged particles had passed.

No. It could cook every chip in your car. Now, if you have an older car, without computers. You might be ok.

Or are you talking about a geomagnetic storm caused by a CME? One of those won't do anything to your car at all.

Gee, I would have to go fishing everyday and hunting once or twice a week. That sounds like hell. It would be like living at a rustic campground, I better get the wood to build an outhouse and also maybe building a sauna is a good idea. As long as I have a woodstove to build one out of I am all right. I have plenty of wood to build an outhouse, I just have to make it a priority to make one.

Great doom porn, but I don't think that even five percent of people would die from a NK EMP. This is a big country, they won't knock everything out. What would people do without Social Media, they do not know how to interact with others in person anymore.

a reply to: Edumakated

It would be brutal. Wonder what country would try to invade first?

Haven't read the book, but it is on youtube audio book. I will listen to it.

a reply to: Phage

Don't think NK is advanced as Russia. Also, if the Ruskies really had that, would they tell us? I think this is just more beating of the drums of war. Even if they have one, don't we have the capability of shooting it down?

a reply to: seasonal

And another thing, how do you test a bomb like that? Wouldn't it knock out their own power supply?

a reply to: TobyFlenderson

Don't think NK is advanced as Russia.

I'm pretty sure they aren't.

Also, if the Ruskies really had that, would they tell us?

Why not? Conversely, why not tell us even if they don't have it?

Even if they have one, don't we have the capability of shooting it down?

Depends on the platform. ICBM, not so much. Shorter range, maybe.

And another thing, how do you test a bomb like that? Wouldn't it knock out their own power supply?

Underground. And using theory. The one time we tested one in space, it was a lot stronger than theory told us it would be.

It would take at least 5 nukes over 1 mt each to take out the US with a EMP strike.
One weapon will not do it and small KT weapons will not do it..

Plus our anti missile systems should get at least 2.
And NK would start glowing before they could get off replacements for those we get.
Even if they get all of them for a EMP strike they would shortly glow from the glass parking lot. plus it would piss off Canada and NATO.

a reply to: Ohanka

Yeah, that seems like a pretty fantastical claim. I'm calling bs, but if it gets them to knock the little fella out well then I'm all for it.

This story seems like a social psyop and nothing more, not that congress can tell the difference though. "Bombs will hurt people" An EMP strike will make bad things happen. Hmm Who knew...

Someone has been helping North Korea. They made too many advances in too short of time. We need to find out who is doing that and have a talk with them......