Two Russians who twice saved the world

March 11, 2022 4:51 PM

First:

Vasili Alexandrovich Arkhipov
    Biography

Second:

Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov
    NYT obituary

And oh, if ever there was a time we needed another one, two, three or more of such Russians, now comes to mind...

Previously by and thanks and a hat tip to Filthy Light Thief

PBS Secrets of the Dead:

    The Man Who Saved the World

Danish documentary:

    The Man Who Saved the World

Trailer of the Hollywood:

    The Man Who Saved the World

posted by y2karl (18 comments total)

I was inspired to make this post by listening to NPR's On the Point wherein a guest retired general mentioned Stanislav Petrov but not Vasili Arkhipov. So I built my links in a Gmail draft as I do now and, dang, if Filthy Light Thief's post came up in the 'A link was used previously'! So I thought to thank him in the Previously -- which made two other posts came up! 'Jeez, what did Darlene Love have to do with Vasily Arkhipov?' thought I. Turns out two people had similarly linked to him in a Previously.

Wow! This hurt Hulk head bad.

Still, it's not a bad idea to make such a shout out in a Previously and now I am forewarned. As are you.
posted by y2karl at 5:13 PM on March 11, 2022 [5 favorites]

I guess someone in Pakistan had the same choice to make a couple of days ago.
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 5:34 PM on March 11, 2022 [5 favorites]

Hmm, did you have more than one tab open, perchance?
posted by y2karl at 6:03 PM on March 11, 2022

Hmm, did you have more than one tab open, perchance?
Me? Don't think so. India accidentally yeeted a nuclear-capable missile into Pakistan the other day. They held their nerve.
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 6:52 PM on March 11, 2022 [5 favorites]

Well, thank you then. My mistake. Man, are we being over supplied with scariest news or what? And if I haven't mentioned it before, your user name is one of my favorites. That's one pterosaur what never had to floss. Peace out.
posted by y2karl at 7:23 PM on March 11, 2022 [2 favorites]

Thank you for posting this. I knew about Petrov but not Arkhipov. Let's hope there are many more like them.
And I am for sure glad the drone that landed in a Zagreb suburb today did not trigger any automated response when it crossed Romania and Hungary before smashing into a park in Croatia (narrowly missing a huge student home).
posted by 15L06 at 8:07 PM on March 11, 2022 [1 favorite]

Thank you for posting this.
posted by listacabinets at 8:54 PM on March 11, 2022 [1 favorite]

U.S. Says North Korea Is Testing a New Intercontinental Missile

"I don't want to set the world
on
fire"
posted by clavdivs at 10:06 PM on March 11, 2022 [2 favorites]

Not to oversimplify but it's like those who have found themselves in the geopolitical back rows are starving for attention, so they have taken to shooting their big long rockets in the air to shock the neighbors and show everyone what big scary boys they are.

'Look, I got a loaded gun, too! How ya like me now!?'

'Well, thank you for that communication!'

/Scientologist Steve Martin
posted by y2karl at 10:41 PM on March 11, 2022

Drat! I was going to swap stomic bomb for loaded gun but the edit window closed. I am so butterfingered. Anyhow, you get the picture: folie pour tous.
posted by y2karl at 10:59 PM on March 11, 2022

Pentagon Delays Nuclear Missile Test Sending Message After Putin Put Russian Arsenal on Alert

ARCTIC EDGE.
"The reason we're up there is because the Russians are up there. If they weren't up there, we wouldn't be up there."

(Lieutenant Chauncy Gardener.)

Scientologist Steve Martin
the all I need is the paddle... and spoon Steve Martin?
posted by clavdivs at 11:44 PM on March 11, 2022

oh, oh
posted by clavdivs at 11:48 PM on March 11, 2022

No….?

Ah. Like Bowfinger? This is…obscure.
posted by amanda at 5:06 AM on March 12, 2022

Well, all I say is schmoop you, too.
posted by y2karl at 8:10 AM on March 12, 2022 [1 favorite]

The seemingly free flow of Russian intelligence related to their most recent occasion of Ukraine made me think of these people. Someone in the chain of command knew this was an awful idea and tried to do something. I thought the instant replay by the US government was kind of brilliant, even if it, at best, it may have only delayed the inevitable.
posted by Leviathant at 1:52 PM on March 12, 2022

Two great heroes, straight up.
posted by doctornemo at 4:37 PM on March 12, 2022 [2 favorites]

I often think about how we always say that no rational leader would risk mutually assured destruction but, actually, a despot facing the guillotine or firing squad or Hague could very, very rationally decide that living out their days in a luxury bomb shelter is preferable to death

And then there’s the fact that we’ve had so, so many close brushes with apocalypse that there’s an annual award for people who have helped us narrowly avoid it: The future of life award

https://futureoflife.org/future-of-life-award/
posted by Skwirl at 9:07 AM on March 13, 2022

living out their days in a luxury bomb shelter is preferable

Dr Strangelove makes this very case...
posted by grokus at 9:28 AM on March 13, 2022