I mean, the real fear for me, is not being vaporize, but learning to live in a post-judegment day style dystopia.
I can see no way that a strike does not lead to escalation.
Our world is so specialized, that even if we have the ability to keep growing crops locally, most of us simply might not have access to the information to how get access to water, grow food, and build shelter in the time we need to survive until we can reestablish society.
I mean we've seen what people are capable of if there's a hint that some people may be buying more toilet paper than they need. That's just the tip of the iceberg; if there is a nuclear strike, the resulting panic and "everyone for themselves" that follows will take care of the rest.
That latter point is pretty much the introduction to Threads:
"In an urban society, everything connects. Each person's needs are fed by the skills of many others. Our lives are woven together in a fabric. But the connections that make society strong also make it vulnerable."
I can see no way that a strike does not lead to escalation.
Our world is so specialized, that even if we have the ability to keep growing crops locally, most of us simply might not have access to the information to how get access to water, grow food, and build shelter in the time we need to survive until we can reestablish society.