Fear of large-scale war is becoming more concrete, focused on real places rather than abstract ideas. Experts like Alex Wellerstein explain that in a nuclear conflict, the first targets wouldn’t just be major cities, but strategic locations—such as Great Falls, Cheyenne, Ogden, Omaha, Colorado Springs, Albuquerque, and Honolulu—places tied to military infrastructure.
What makes this especially unsettling is that ordinary communities sit alongside these strategic assets. Ultimately, global safety depends less on weapons themselves and more on human judgment—since a single mistake could have catastrophic consequences.