Questions remain unanswered after New York City nuclear war alert
Clara Weiss @claraweiss_wsws
13 July 2022
Two days after the July 11 release of a public service announcement by New York City’s office of emergency management (OEM) for the case of a nuclear attack, there has been no serious explanation given for this extraordinary step taken by the administration of America’s largest city, which is home to almost 8.5 million people and the country’s financial center, Wall Street.
The 90 second long video, which has now been watched by over half a million people, was issued without any political explanation or context. In what appeared like a parody on the Cold War-era advice to children to “hide under your desk” in case a nuclear bomb is dropped, the video recommended the public to “get inside,” “shower with soap or shampoo,” and then “stay put” and check their “safety alerts” from the city for more information. To top it all, the presenter ended the video with a reassuring smile, stating, “You’ve got this.”
The utter irrationality of the content was almost as disturbing as the very fact of the release of the video itself. Of course, all of these recommendations would be worthless in case of an actual nuclear detonation, which would incinerate the city and surrounding area and turn much of the East Coast uninhabitable for generations...
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