{"id":11509,"date":"2026-03-13T14:48:51","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T14:48:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thepatswalk.com\/?p=11509"},"modified":"2026-03-13T14:48:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T14:48:51","slug":"i-was-not-expecting-number-4-full-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thepatswalk.com\/?p=11509","title":{"rendered":"I was NOT expecting Number 4, Full list!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"65\" data-end=\"429\">The return of <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Donald Trump<\/span><\/span> to the White House has revived a complex approach to American power: promising to end \u201cforever wars\u201d while using unpredictable, high-stakes diplomacy. In a world already uneasy after decades of conflict, this uncertainty has sparked deeper public concern about what a global catastrophe might actually look like.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"431\" data-end=\"844\">History shows that major conflicts often begin not with a clear plan but with <strong data-start=\"509\" data-end=\"558\">miscalculations, pride, or technical mistakes<\/strong>. A modern war between nuclear powers would not resemble past territorial wars\u2014it could fundamentally reshape civilization. While deterrence systems and treaties exist, they are still managed by humans, and history includes several moments where nuclear escalation was narrowly avoided.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"846\" data-end=\"1294\">Experts like nuclear historian <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Alex Wellerstein<\/span><\/span> explain that a common myth is that nuclear strikes would first target famous cities such as <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">New York City<\/span><\/span> or <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Washington, D.C.<\/span><\/span>. In reality, modern strategy focuses on <strong data-start=\"1126\" data-end=\"1144\">\u201ccounterforce\u201d<\/strong>\u2014destroying an opponent\u2019s ability to retaliate. This means missile silos, command centers, and military infrastructure would likely be targeted first.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1296\" data-end=\"1856\">As a result, lesser-known locations tied to nuclear systems could face the greatest risk. Examples often discussed include areas near <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Malmstrom Air Force Base<\/span><\/span> in <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Great Falls<\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Francis E. Warren Air Force Base<\/span><\/span> near <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Cheyenne<\/span><\/span>, and <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Hill Air Force Base<\/span><\/span> near <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Ogden<\/span><\/span> and <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Clearfield<\/span><\/span>. Strategic bomber bases like <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Barksdale Air Force Base<\/span><\/span> near <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Shreveport<\/span><\/span> also play a key role.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1858\" data-end=\"2303\">Other important defense hubs include <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Honolulu<\/span><\/span> due to its Pacific military presence, <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Omaha<\/span><\/span> with <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">United States Strategic Command<\/span><\/span> at <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Offutt Air Force Base<\/span><\/span>, and <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Colorado Springs<\/span><\/span>, home to <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">NORAD<\/span><\/span>. Meanwhile, <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Albuquerque<\/span><\/span> hosts major nuclear laboratories and storage facilities.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2305\" data-end=\"2538\">This doesn\u2019t mean major cities like <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Los Angeles<\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Chicago<\/span><\/span>, or <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">San Francisco<\/span><\/span> would be safe\u2014only that military infrastructure might be targeted first.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2540\" data-end=\"2844\">Experts stress that this analysis <strong data-start=\"2574\" data-end=\"2604\">is not a prediction of war<\/strong>. Nuclear deterrence systems, communication hotlines, and early-warning technology exist specifically to prevent escalation. Still, the discussion highlights an uncomfortable truth: civilian life and military strategy are closely connected.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2846\" data-end=\"3065\">Ultimately, global stability depends on the decisions of leaders and the strength of diplomacy. Understanding these risks reminds us that peace is not automatic\u2014it requires constant effort, communication, and restraint.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>The return of Donald Trump to the White House has revived a complex approach to American power: promising to end \u201cforever wars\u201d while using unpredictable, <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/thepatswalk.com\/?p=11509\" title=\"I was NOT expecting Number 4, Full list!\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11510,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepatswalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepatswalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepatswalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepatswalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepatswalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11509"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thepatswalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11509\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11511,"href":"https:\/\/thepatswalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11509\/revisions\/11511"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepatswalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thepatswalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepatswalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thepatswalk.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}