The real "sword bearer" in history
In the science fiction novel "Three-Body Problem 3: Death Immortality" by science fiction writer Liu Cixin, the protagonist Cheng Xin successfully succeeded the first generation of sword bearer Luo Ji through voting and became the second generation of sword bearers.
The sword bearer's duty is to use the gravitational wave deterrent system to achieve a strategic balance with the trisolarans preparing to invade Earth. In short, if the Trisolaran invades Earth, the Sword Bearer will activate the gravitational wave button, and the gravitational wave broadcast system will broadcast the coordinates of the solar system and the trisolaran galaxy in the universe.
According to the law of the Dark Forest, these two galaxies that reveal their positions are bound to be destroyed by a higher civilization.
"Suppose there are a million hunters in the forest (and there may be a thousand times as many civilizations as there are in the hundred billion stars of the Milky Way), and there may be nine hundred thousand who ignore this sign; of the remaining one hundred thousand hunters, there may be ninety thousand who probe that position and confirm that they are devoid of life;
Then among the last ten thousand hunters left, someone will certainly make the choice to shoot at that position, because for a civilization whose technology has developed to a certain extent, attack may be less laborious than detection, and it is safer than detection, and if there is really nothing in that position, there is nothing to lose. ——Liu Cixin, "Three-Body 2: Dark Forest"
Fifteen minutes after Cheng Xin took over the gravitational wave broadcast deterrence system control button, the deterrent failed, and the six water droplets hidden in the solar system by the Trisolaran launched an attack on the earth.
In the face of the upcoming water droplets, at the last moment Cheng Xinyi killed his relatives, choosing to sacrifice the human beings on the earth and not broadcast the coordinates of the three-body galaxy.
In reality, the role of the controller and sword bearer similar to the gravitational wave deterrent system is real, that is, the nuclear weapon and its controller.
The main purpose of nuclear weapons is nuclear deterrence and strategic balance. During the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, several top leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union played the role of "sword bearers". But the first "sword bearer" who had to make a decision in a short period of time when encountering a similar situation in Cheng Xin was President Carter.
Seven-minute missile crisis
Jimmy Carter became the 39th President of the United States on January 20, 1977. Many people may not remember President Carter, but mentioning the moon rock and the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States reminds of this "old friend".
In 1978, President Carter presented China with a gram of lunar rock on behalf of the United States, established diplomatic relations between China and the United States during his term of office on January 1, 1979, and visited China eight times after leaving office, and was known as the "leader of Sino-US relations."
The scene of the signing of the U.S.-Soviet Treaty on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms
On June 18, 1979, U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Soviet Supreme Leader Brezhnev signed the U.S.-Soviet Treaty on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms in Vienna. The treaty stipulates the reduction of nuclear weapons by the United States and the Soviet Union, and both sides pledge to strictly abide by the provisions of this treaty.
After the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, both the United States and the Soviet Union recognized the scourge of nuclear weapons for all mankind. It is also clear that if one of the two sides responds irrationally, then the other side will immediately launch a nuclear counterattack, and then the world will have to pay for the person who activates the nuclear button.
But the haze of nuclear weapons hanging over the planet will not be dissipated by a Cuban missile crisis and a U.S.-Soviet Treaty on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms.
Neither the United States nor the Soviet Union knew when the decision to launch a nuclear weapon would come, and when that day did come, no one knew what decisions would be made by the decision makers of the other nuclear-weapon power.
Sometimes, the things that have been worrying about always happen, and they happen quickly.
In the early hours of November 9, 1979, President Carter's national security adviser, Brzezinski, was awakened in his sleep by a sudden ringing of the telephone.
During the Cold War, the "national teacher" of the United States, Brzezinski
Brzezinski, the president's national security adviser, has become accustomed to this. When he picked up the phone and heard the contents of the phone, he was suddenly drowsy.
The call came from Odem, Brzezinski's military aide, who reported in an urgent voice: "250 Soviet missiles have been detected coming toward the United States."
Brzezinski immediately asked aides to verify the accuracy of the missile attack. A few minutes is as long as centuries.
When Brzezinski received the call again, he not only did not hear the result he wanted, but heard: "At present, the number of missiles detected from the direction of the Soviet Union has increased to 2200, which is a full-scale nuclear strike of the Soviet Union." ”
At this time, the owner of the White House was still immersed in a beautiful dream, and did not realize that an ultimate test for himself and for all mankind was coming.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter
When Brzezinski finished his report, nicknamed "Anti-Soviet Vanguard," he did not give the president time to speak, but directly suggested an immediate full-scale nuclear missile counterattack against the Soviet Union.
Carter was silent, because he knew what the consequences of doing so would mean, and perhaps because of this decision, the entire human civilization would be regressed, or even massively reduced. Even radiation pollution after a full-scale nuclear war, as well as its impact on the climate and environment, will be devastating to all humanity.
At this point, there are seven minutes left in the effective time of the counterattack...
But Carter did not understand why the Soviets had launched a full-scale nuclear war, whether it had been planned or misoperated. It is not meant to be improvised.
There was no prior warning for such a nuclear strike, and even the two sides did not have a major conflict during this period, and it also occurred just after the signing of the "US-Soviet Treaty on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms" between the two sides.
Khrushchev and Castro
In the cuban missile crisis, when the situation was so severe, the Soviet Union finally gave up the use of nuclear weapons against the United States. The current situation will not be bad enough to reach the moment of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
At this moment, history is in Carter's hands, and in such a short period of time a correct decision must be made, and it can only be the right decision.
This is a gamble that has bet on all mankind, and if you are not careful, you will be doomed.
Unfortunately, this happened at a time when the United States and the Soviet Union were still at a time of tension.
Fortunately, this happened during the term of the only U.S. president since World War II who has not waged war abroad.
Final decision
Finally, after a short period of contemplation, Carter gave the order to Brzezinski. The order was not a long-range missile interception, let alone an immediate full-scale nuclear counterattack, but a demand that Brzezinski immediately verify the accuracy of the intelligence again.
Soviet Satanic intercontinental missile
In desperation, Brzezinski had no choice but to call his assistant again. As soon as he hung up, his assistant Oldham called, informing him that the alarm had been lifted and that the missile crisis was a false alarm.
At this time, all those who received the notice breathed a sigh of relief, and at this time, the residents of the global village were still working at sunrise and resting at sunset as before. I don't know what a major military crisis I have just experienced.
Afterwards, after investigation, it was learned that the missile crisis was caused by the staff in charge of early warning missile attacks mistakenly inserting a disk for the exercise into the computer of the early warning detection system.
Brezhnev, the supreme leader of the Soviet Union at the time, called Carter through an encrypted channel, warning him that he must pay close attention to "extremely dangerous false alarms."
The Soviet Union also had missile misinformation warnings
Former Soviet Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov
Coincidentally, on September 26, 1983, Soviet Lieutenant Colonel Petrov, who was on duty at the Nuclear Weapons Early Warning Center, suddenly received an early warning signal from the missile early warning system.
The early warning system showed that the American missiles were rushing straight over the Soviet Union, and then received five early warning signals for the attack of the American missiles, but Lieutenant Colonel Petronov immediately found that it was a false warning, dismissed the alarm in time, and did not report to his superiors.
If Petronov had immediately reported at that time, it is not known what kind of decision the supreme leader of the Soviet Union would have made in a short period of time.
Strategic balance
Dongfeng No. 1
Today, China, the United States and Russia, as the world's major nuclear powers, have maintained a very clever strategic balance.
In today's sudden changes in the world situation, we can live in such a peaceful land, away from war and bullying.
Stills from the movie "Born Out of the Blue"
We must always remember that in order to build nuclear weapons, we used to transfer orders, abandon our families and businesses, and rush to the desolate Gobi Desert.
Do not dare to forget the scientists who returned to China when the motherland needed it and were willing to hide their names. As well as researchers who have forgotten to eat and sleep on scratch paper over and over again.
They are not sword bearers, but sword casters.
This sword can protect 9.6 million square kilometers of vast land and 4.727 million kilometers of magnificent waters, as well as you and me who live and work in peace and contentment.
After all, no sword, and no sword are two different things!