Is there a General brave enough to disable Bush**'s "nuclear football"?

After it became clear that Nixon was "losing it", Henry Kissinger asked the relevant nuclear commanders to ignore any order from the Nixon to initiate a nuclear strike.

Obviously Condi will not be the one to ask for it, but do you think that there is anybody brave enough to order that nuclear strike orders be ignored now, since it has become clear that Bush is on a rapid decline into alcoholic dementia?

and told him that it was the nuclear football. He believed them and still does. I doubt he ever really had control of the real thing to begin w/ in all honesty.

But I fear he has full command of the entire nuclear arsenal.

No president has unilateral control over nukes. The system, from top to bottom, has a two-man rule. At all levels, it takes a minimum of two people to initiate and pass the command down the line. One hopes that the procedures in place have sufficient checks and balances to keep the safety on the thing.

BTW, there were similar discussions during 1974 when it was all but apparent that the Nixon administration was doomed.

to back him up on the nuclear decision.

However, there is likely a requirement that one of the top military people be the "second man". I don't know this for a fact, but I cannot imagine that the use of nukes would be strictly in the hands of politicals. First, it would be extremely unwise for reasons which are now all too obvious. Second, the military protects its turf. They don't particularly like civilian control and would never cede total control to the civilian pols.

Yes, there are crazies in power, but I trust that there are checks and balances for precisely this eventuality. The use of nukes cannot be initiated without some due process. I would think that a preemptive use would be near impossible.

Peace.

The Nuclear Surety program has cut-outs built into the system. Believe me, the men carrying the 'football' are professional and very well screened/vetted people that are trained extensively on when and how to intercede if they perceive madness. I trust these men. The civilians and political military people running the show, however, is another matter.

I was on the receiving end of the two-man control and was well versed with AR 50-5 (Army Surety Program) and can tell you with some authority that, as the name implies, Surety is job one. I assume the DOD directives have the same teeth, yet assuming is, well, what's the old saying?

I was speaking from assumptions. It's nice to hear from somebody who has some knowledge. I am fairly well read on these issues, but so much is still behind a curtain that one can only presume unless one has been part of the process.

My presumption is that an attempt to use the football to launch an unwarranted attack would not succeed. Especially since the generals are already pissed at Chimp about Iraq. Also, they smell blood in the water at the White House. They would be extremely cautious and skeptical about any attempt to issue such commands. These guys are not stupid. I trust them. One has no choice.

(the JCS staff at the Pentagon) or an officer aboard a command aircraft. Under no circumstances could Shrub just grab the code satchel and press a button and civilization would all be ended.

There are elaborate protocols in place to confirm that there has actually been a strike against the US and the originating source of the attack. I'm not even sure whether a nuclear first-strike is even really authorized under US military doctrine, except under the most extraordinary circumstances where the US posture would essentially already have us at war.