who has saved my life, and the lives of millions.
Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov.
Just read this in Charlie’s Diary, and I was astounded. I knew that we’d come close to nuclear annililation a number of times, and I think I read about it a few years back. But I didn’t realise we’d come this close.
Yet another good reason not to believe right-wing hysteria (or left-wing hysteria for that matter). You can’t characterise entire nations, peoples, or religions as ‘evil’.
So though I’m a day late, I’d like to ask any readers to remember this guy, and thank him when you walk outside into the air today.
27 September, 2008 at 9:59 am
how sad he was treated the way he was.
thank god the multiple errors didn’t happen all at once.
28 September, 2008 at 7:24 pm
I was working at the BBC Glasgow, as a young man, at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and we knew that the communication centres of each country would be a possible target. I can tell you that the air was frigid with fear until the crisis passed!
28 September, 2008 at 8:20 pm
i’m wondering how many times we actually did come this close to the mutually assured destruction.
1 October, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Yep, its a bottle of Mac’s Dark for Mr Petrov tonight. Was in Christchurch then – near the Antarctic AF base at Harewood.
And we were informed somewhere – that there were only two targets in NZ – Christchurch (and Auckland – possibly- but it may have been propaganda just to cheer us South Islanders up)
Thanks for allowing me to survive to discover James Joyce…