Delaware Liberal

Do I Really Have To Worry About EMP?

An electromagentic pulse, or EMP, is a split-second burst of energy that occurs when a nuclear device is detonated high in the atmosphere. A Department of Homeland Security disaster guide for the public explains an EMP “acts like a stroke of lightning but is stronger, faster and shorter.”

Pretty serious stuff, and I’m not denying it’s impact.  My question is… where on my worry chart should this threat be placed?  And, I’ll admit, the fact that Gingrich and Huckabee are headlining a September EMPACT conference doesn’t inspire confidence.

“I’ve believed for a long time that EMP may be the greatest strategic threat we face,” Gingrich said in a taped message to air at the conference, “because without adequate preparation its impact could be so horrifying that we would, in fact, basically lose our civilization in a matter of seconds.”

I’m all for preparedness, but it seems my idea of preparedness (making electronic equipment and electrical components resistant to EMP and  keeping adequate spare parts on hand, and in the proper location, to enable prompt repairs to be made.) and Newt’s differ greatly.  (Notice his use of the word horrifying again.)

“It’s based on fact, it is accurate, and it’s horrifying, and we have zero national strategy to respond to it today,” Gingrich said. He laid out a vision in which three small nuclear weapons detonated at the right altitude would eliminate all electricity production in the United States. Which is why, he concluded, “I favor taking out Iranian and North Korean missiles on their sites. ” [emphasis mine]

I’m seeing an agenda.  I’m also getting a strong sense of déjà vu, a sort of “the smoking gun — that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud” moment.

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