[a_vanderbilt]

The creation of contaminated tooling continues at the Pantex plant in the Texas panhandle. The plutonium pits for the US nuclear arsenal are serviced there. When cores get recycled a ton of nuclear-contaminated waste gets created. Oil, lathes, air filters, etc. The existence of the plant makes the recent musings on secession by the Texas legislature a hilarious thought.

[zoklet-enjoyer]

I don't understand the connection there

[TFortunato]

I think they are stating the odds of the federal government actually allowing secession to go through would be...minimal at best, given these assets in the state.

[a_vanderbilt]

Bingo. 100-200 physics packages go through the facility annually, and if you think Uncle Sam got mad when someone touched his boats, try touching his nukes.

[a_gnostic]

Nothing a treaty won't solve. Access to West Berlin through the Iron Curtain was a thing.

[bloak]

One could also compare with Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome being in Kazakhstan.

[samus]

West Berlin was of minimal strategic importance though. It had highly symbolic value of course.

[buildsjets]

First, we take Manhattan. Then, we take Berlin.

[philipswood]

I too am sometimes guided by the beauty of our weapons.

(Though to be honest: usually I'm just guided by the beauty of our tools...)

[galaxyLogic]

And I don't like those drugs that keep you thin

[euroderf]

The NY Air National Guard has B-52s and tankers. Hopefully they would launch a disarming strike on any attempt by Texas to go nuclear.

[api]

Nobody serious thinks Texas secession is a good idea. It’s performative nonsense to rile up idiots.

For an international analogy it’s along the same lines as Putin claiming the sale of Alaska was not valid.

[kurthr]

Every single piece of nuclear ordinance goes through that area. There are likely hundreds of near functional nuclear warheads under maintenance at any moment.

They're a larger nuclear power than China, England, France, or any country other than Russia and the US. What they don't have are delivery systems.

[RexM]

SpaceX launches out of Brownsville.

[hef19898]

Just because SpaceX has rockets that go to space doesn't mean those rockets are ICBMs.

[thsksbd]

It does though. Any rocket that can go into leo can fall within a mile without trouble.

And that's with 1950s guidance technology. Add modern controls and a SpaceX can crash into a site with 100 m no problem

[khuey]

Any rocket that can put a payload in orbit is an ICBM capable of launching at least that payload at another continent.

[hef19898]

If a continent is your target, sure...

[saagarjha]

In one piece?

[arethuza]

Or the codes to make the Permissive Action Links (PAL) work.

[thsksbd]

If they have the physics package they don't need the codes. Those codes to deter a grunt or rogue commander. A place like Texas can easily make bombs out of the physics packages

[WatchDog]

I’d imagine that they have everything they need to make devices without a PAL.

I believe you need a code in order to disassemble a PAL protected device without it self destructing, presumably these disassembly codes are different from the arming codes.

[avs733]

"sure you can secede"

"sweet! look at this nuclear weapons plant that's now ours"

"sure, enjoy!"

"HEY...you just left us the giant nuclear waste dump, where's the boom booms?"