[danenania]

That's a rather... optimistic view of what total war between nuclear powers would entail. The goal would not be only to destroy missile silos, but industrial capacity, the electric grid, military and political leadership at all levels, and the population's will to fight. All major cities and all forms of civilian infrastructure would likely be targets.

[oceanplexian]

Infrastructure is a huge problem if you live in a dense population center, but a manageable one if you don't live in a big city.

Electricity isn't a requirement for survival; we lived without it only a century ago. My folks in New England can pretty much live indefinitely with a wood stove, a groundwater well, and local agriculture. It might be a rough time figuring out how to feed everyone. It would certainly be a brutal existence, and a lot of people wouldn't make it, but the world would go on.

[danenania]

Right, you would have some survivors, but people would not be concerned with paying taxes or anything related to tech/the internet.

Even rural areas would be very rough. Supply lines for gasoline would probably be disrupted so unless you can grow enough food for subsistence on your own land, local agriculture wouldn't help you much. We'd have to go back to horses and carriages, but with the exception of Amish areas, I doubt there are enough horses and related equipment around to make it work. And then there's security, which is probably the biggest issue. Even if you can sustain yourself, you'll need a way to deal with packs of hungry, desperate people going around with guns.

[cdelsolar]

the groundwater well is full of radiation and the plants all died from radiation and lack of sunlight...

[adventured]

There wouldn't be a lack of sunlight.

[giardini]

Really?