Poll -- A friend asked me if I thought Putin would use Nuclear weapons? ...

[aggiesal]

So I responded with;
Put-In is crazy.
If the war starts to move in Ukraine's favor, then YES!

So I thought I'd make a poll and ask DU members your opinion on the same question.

Do you think Putin will use Nuclear Weapons?

30 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Time expired
	YES
	9 (30%)
	NO
	9 (30%)
	MAYBE
	12 (40%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[iemanja]

1. I think he would

If he thought it was the only way he could win.

That's not saying he will, but he could.

[jcgoldie]

2. Putin is obviously not a rational actor

The question is would the generals allow him to... I always thought he was Trump but smarter... starting to think at least at this advanced age, he's just Trump.

[Hoyt]

3. 11.659% Maybe. Essentially, No.

[aggiesal]

4. How did you come up with that percentage? n/t

[Mr.Bill]

5. I voted no, but with a caveat.

While I think he may give the order, I don't think it will be carried out. This may have already happened. I also think the same thing about Trump.

[Flaleftist]

16. I'm hoping thats the case.

Putin may be suicidal, but the people who have to turn the keys know what will happen to their family and loved ones.

[struggle4progress]

6. Almost nobody really wants a nuclear war; and that will be as true of Russians

as anyone else anywhere else

Even among ardent nationalists of any stripe, you will find many who understand that a certain informed realism is essential to advancing their own interests and their own country's interests: so it will be reasonable to expect that there exist many patriotic Russians who will recoil with horror from the prospect of nuclear exchanges

Russian politics is likely to be as complicated as politics anywhere -- and that means (among other things) that actual power will not always follow the official organization charts. To use various nuclear weapons, will require various levels of consent and action from different people, regardless of the official power structure: Putin doesn't transport, aim, and fire them himself

Unofficial contacts are important in the modern world; people can have personal friends that are not official friends; and this matters

I do not think we can predict the future; but I think we can profitably play the probabilities, as long as we update our estimates as frequently and accurately as we can

[AlexSFCA]

7. putin won't hesitate to use nuclear missiles, there is no line he won't cross

Listen to Julia Ioffe, she knows a thing or two about putin. He is getting cornered with this war, deploying first chemical warfare followed by small range nuclear missiles to annihilate Ukrainian population is very real possibility. He can then use this as a deterrent because unlike NATO, putin is crazy and is determined to change the world order. We are living in dangerous times. Putin has no second thoughts about killing millions of Ukrainian people. A person like this dreams of deploying nuclear arsenal that he is so openly proud of (world’s largest nuclear arsenal).
There appears to be misconception about the goal of putin’s war. The goal is to create a buffer zone against NATO territory. He has no use for the land and especially people living there - he knows they will never accept him so genocide is the goal and nuclear weapon is perhaps the most effective way to do that.

[Clash City Rocker]

8. There are checks and balances in every system

In Russia, it’s the risk of a polonium cocktail.

[andym]

9. If Putin thought that he and Russia would be in a better position after a nuclear strike

he would have no hesitation about doing so, being completely amoral. The thing is that the USA would absolutely destroy Russia in a counterstrike, so that this scenario is not realistic.

[uponit7771]

10. Nope, putrid is an asshole he's not suicidal neither are his generals and FSB

[BigmanPigman]

11. He's painted himself into a corner and the rat is dangerous.

He has nothing to lose if he has a serious health condition so that may influence his decisions.

[smirkymonkey]

12. I don't know, but I think he is like Trump.

If there is no way that they are going to survive or win, then they would have no problem bringing the entire world down with them. Or as much of it as possible.

He is not a rational actor. He and Trump are total narcissists and pure ego. Nothing matters to them but themselves, therefore, nothing is standing in the way of him blowing it all up if he thinks he is going to lose. Also, if he is terminally ill, that just adds fuel to the fire. If he isn't in this world, he doesn't care if anyone else is either.

[Bantamfancier]

13. A rat in a corner

is only dangerous if you want to catch him.
A rat in a corner is defenseless if you intend to kill it.

[Bettie]

14. I voted no

because while he may give the order, either it won't be carried out and/or decades of slipshod maintenance will save the world.

[aggiesal]

15. About 24 hours remaining in the poll n/t

[AntiFascist]

17. There's a difference between limited tactical nukes and strategic nukes...

so that's a 'loaded' question.

[aggiesal]

18. It's not a ''loaded'' question. A nuke is a nuke. If he uses either, he's used a nuclear weapon. n/t