Cummings might be a weasel, but he doesn't appear stupid. In a similar vein, I do wonder whether Trump has been given a 'nuclear key' or whether the military considers a dummy device to be altogether safer?
The 'nuclear key' doesn't initiate automated missile launches. Whatever hushed tones are used to talk about the esoteric mysticism of the "nuclear football" and "Gold codes", they are just a way of very rapidly sending orders to the top level of the military hierarchy - the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the US case - to initiate one or other pre-prepared retaliation plans in the face of inbound ballistic missiles.
I am sure the Joint Chiefs of Staff have absolutely no illusions about nuclear war, and the resulting deaths of millions of US citizens. If there was no credible nuclear attack on the US underway, then I imagine the order would get lost amongst their paperwork for at least a few hours until Trump's toys were taken away. And Trump's toys would be taken away, or Trump at least be forced to change his mind, because even his most ardent and corrupt yes-men don't to want to die in a retaliatory nuclear explosion - after all what is in it for them?
Biting the hand that feeds IT
