What is M.A.D. (Mutually Assured Destruction)?

Question

What exactly does this mean? I look it up on Google and it isn't really in words I can understand =P

Answer 1

For a comic representation of Mutually Assured Destruction, rent Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb"

Answer 2

Basically, it's a Cold War term. The Soviets and the US had enough stockpiled nuclear weapons that should ONE side send over a bomb, the other side could respond--and they could do it in such a way that not only would they completely wipe each OTHER out, but anyone else caught in the middle as well. For instance, there were places in Germany, where they knew that if the bomb was dropped, they'd have less than a minute to say "goodbye."

Answer 3

Thank goodness you don't understand it--that means you don't have to live with it, like we used to. This was a policy during the Cold War. The U.S. and the Soviets had the idea that if each of them had enough atomic bombs to destroy the other, it would prevent them from attacking, because they would be blown up, too. A good demonstration of it was back in the 1960's, when Soviet Premiere Kruschev threatened that he would send his planes to bomb the United States. President Kennedy calmly responded, "Ah, Mr. Premiere, but where will they land?"

Answer 4

Okay, simply put, it is the political theory that holds that two countries that possess weapons (namely nuclear weapons) sort of hold each other in check because neither nation wants to make the first move (and everybody thinks that no nation is psycho enough to make the first move). It was pretty much what the Cold War was based upon.
I hope this helps!

Answer 5

I have a nuclear device.
You see this and don't feel safe.
You get two nuclear devices.
I see this and I don't feel safe.
I get three nuclear devices.
You see this and don't feel safe.

This continues until we have enough nuclear devices to destroy each other many times over. If you try to bomb me, I will launch all mine at you, we will both be killed with many more times the weapons than would be needed to do the job.

Mutually Assured Destruction.

Got it!?!?

Answer 6

During a cold war, both sides have enough nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons to annihilate the other side. Some people believe this deters both sides from starting the unimaginable.