U.S. of A: Savior of the world!

[Solver]

Most likely case...

All the countries capable of destroying the meteorite think about doing so - USA, Russia and probably China. They don't trust each other, they all do stuff separately. So, three separate and confusing programs exist.

Now it would be fun if all three missiles collided in space before getting to the meteor...

[Provost Harrison]

It wouldn't be fun when fire erupts for hundreds of miles and a blastwave capable of flattening anything circles the earth a few times

[Whoha]

Originally posted by Donegeal
Okay, try this one:

A metor is going to hit Iran. It will cause massive local destruction, nearly the entire country. Millions of people would die. The US is the only country with the ability to stop this from happening (I am not actually saying that they are the only ones capable, I'm using it as a hypothetical). Do they do it? And if they do, what does Iran owe the "great satan"?

The kinds of asteroid strikes we are talking about would cause too much damage to everywhere else to be allowed to happen.

We'd probably try to make a push to knock over the Mullahs then.

[St Leo]

Originally posted by Az
I think the world owes Iran a liberation from *******s.

When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

[Winston]

No matter how big and beautiful a house you build, there will always be small dogs pissing on it.

[DanS]

Let's be realistic here. Even though we spend the lion's share of all space spending worldwide (3/5ths or 4/5ths), the Russians are more capable for the task.

[Az]

Originally posted by St Leo

Originally posted by Az
I think the world owes Iran a liberation from *******s.

When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

When all you have is a bunch of peacenik sayings, you try to stick them everywhere you can.

[DinoDoc]

I find it strange that the author would seem to prefer death in the situation he describes than be "puppetrised" by the US if they saved the world.

[Spec]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
I find it strange that the author would seem to prefer death in the situation he describes than be "puppetrised" by the US if they saved the world.

You didn't understand the point of the thread.....It's not about what I prefer, it's about the political implication of such an event.

[DinoDoc]

Stupid hypotheticals based on Holywood movies (Where is Bruce Willis in this scenario?) don't normally inspire me to read closely. You might as well ask what would the geo-political implications if the US were the one to repel an alien invasion a la Independence Day (a much better movie than Armageddon IMO).

[DanS]

The chances of alien invasion are unknown, but the chances of a devestating meteor hitting earth are a lot higher than you might imagine. The chances of death by meteor impact and/or its aftermath are estimated at something like 1 in 6,000. It's a lot better hypothetical than most that come to Poly.

[St Leo]

Originally posted by Az
When all you have is a bunch of peacenik sayings, you try to stick them everywhere you can.

An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.

[Tattila the Hun]

Eh, surely it was yanks who took out the big mothership, but It wasn't the US, who took out the saucer in Egypt, was it?

Anyways, we'd owe them nothing. If they could build a giant spacecraft to house their entire populace, and send it to Alpha Centauri, OR take out that asteroid, then were talking. They have no choice, if they mean to survive, and nobody else is up to the task.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by St Leo

Originally posted by Az
When all you have is a bunch of peacenik sayings, you try to stick them everywhere you can.

An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.

And thus you prove it

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Tattila the Hun
Eh, surely it was yanks who took out the big mothership, but It wasn't the US, who took out the saucer in Egypt, was it?

Anyways, we'd owe them nothing. If they could build a giant spacecraft to house their entire populace, and send it to Alpha Centauri, OR take out that asteroid, then were talking. They have no choice, if they mean to survive, and nobody else is up to the task.

Nice to know you'd be grateful

Maybe we should just cart off ourselves, if that's what you guys'd think... or perhaps deflect all of the asteroid except for a piece that would hit Finland. Actually, that's a very good idea.