Civil Defense with Orson Welles (audio book)

Stunning Adaptation of Best Nuke Book Ever Written

(5 stars)

Jesusisthe1

By Mary Judith Conklin. Somehow the system balled up my screen name! If you're not familiar with Philip Wylie, arguably the best apocalyptic author ever, then surely you're familiar with Orson Welles. He's done something far more stunning and relevant here than War of the Worlds. We are probably not in danger of a Martian invasion but we ARE still in danger from the 7800 active nuclear weapons in the world, not to mention terrorist nukes. As the announcer begins, Tomorrow! is a tale of two cities, one Civil Defense-prepared, the other not. I read this at seven in Reader's Digest Condensed Book form and then Mom took out the unexpurgated version from the library for me. It sent me careening through every Civil Defense tome I could find there. Listen to this and realize that there was neighborhood involvement and preparation back then and our government put forth a plethora of information so average citizens KNEW Duck and Cover back and forth. One site no longer online estimated that 95 oercent of casualties in a nuclear war would come from flying glass. People know NOTHING today. Absolutely nothing. Would they realize that the most blinding flash they've ever seen is invariably nuclear, to get down in an interior room beneath the level of windows and cover their eyes and heads? How many lives would be saved if they did know? God help us. What frightens me the most is that there IS a stalwart group of informed nuclear survivalists today. Many of them pride themselves on their arsenals, seeming to look forward to their favorite acronym: WROL--Without Rule of Law. If you haven't prepped, you are undeserving of their assistance and they will view you suspiciously and maybe even kill you if they deem you a threat to their supply cache. They seem to fear FEMA far more than they fear a nuclear event. Ordinary, decent people who would wish to survive in concert with their neighbors need this knowledge, too. There are plenty of sources online to learn how you and your loved ones can survive a nuclear event. We need citizens without arsenals to know what used to be called Civil Defense, citizens who want to survive WITH their neighbors.

A wake-up call

(5 stars)

Jane Orient, MD

The world situation is different since the End of the Cold War, but the nuclear threat has proliferated. A terrorist attack would be more survivable than an all-out Soviet first strike, but Americans are even less prepared and more apathetic. Also, the government has destroyed the rudimentary civil defense that we had at the time of this program. Some rudimentary knowledge could still save millions, but Americans will have to take some initiative to inform themselves about "duck and cover," expedient shelter in place, and homemakeable radiation instruments. Besides providing life-saving motivation, this is great radio! If you're following Jericho, you won't want to miss this.

History as prologue, "Tomorrow" could be today.

(5 stars)

Stephen C. Jones

Excellent insight as to why we do not have civil defense today in an era of nuclear terrorism. This broadcast demonstrates the resistance of the public to a national civil defense, not the negligence of the government in providing one. Good entertainment for boomers who still remember duck and cover drills. Prophetic in many ways. Interesting that the author, Phillip Wylie, says the nation has had "10" years to prepare and done basically nothing. Since this broadcast the nation has had 50 more years to prepare and still done nothing. It's not too late.

Great History

(5 stars)

Julius513

The prognosis was always overly optimistic,the chace of civilazation surviving very small.