I read this book for work, and it was absolutely horrifying because of the current geopolitical landscape. It seems that we have learned nothing between 1961 and today, because we are back there again.
I hope that nuclear powers today realise what they will unleash if their posturing and redrawing of lines end up with thoughts of nuclear solutions.
That assessment is also only for the immediate effects of the weapons, and takes no account of the effect of loss of agricultural land, and food production and distribution infrastructure. The effects of which would probably be even worse, and result in further wars over remaining resources.
It’s not called MAD for nothing.
And no, we seem to have forgotten all the lessons from history. Though there seems to be many using history as a playbook; a manual for how to create a dictatorship.
Even the Chernobyl accident affected Swedish agriculture and livestock for years. I honestly don’t think people realise what they are playing with. Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.
And the wiping out of humanity is the least part. It’s that everything will be obliterated. Big hug.
When the bulk of nuclear weapons are in the hands of known war criminals (and a criminal wannabe dictator) the world is as unsafe now as it was during the cold war. A great man once said that if World War III is fought with nuclear weapons, World War IV will be fought with bows and arrows.