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I cannot imagine a scenario whereby anything like current society would remain.

I think there's little doubt that we are closer to a nuclear exchange now than at any time since the early 1980's. Whatever Iran's intentions with the recent development of the potential for nuclear capability, there is no doubt that their poor international relations have escalated the nuclear sabre-rattling.

Whilst the potential conflict is geographically removed from the flashpoints of the Cold War, there is no doubt that new alliances and loyalites will take any nuclear exchange into most of the West, as well as the Middle East.

And don't forget that fallout is no respecter of borders - I always found the London Borough street sign "You are now entering Greenwich, a nuclear free zone" fairly hilarious as a teenager. What was the fallout going to do? Sidle up to the Borough boundary, read the sign and apologetically slink away into neighbouring Lewisham?

The economic facts - there will be no international trade. Anything your country doesn't produce will cease to be available. The ground and air will be poisoned, and it would be inadvisable for any survivors to eat any crops that may withstand the conflict.

The workforce will be vastly reduced - the dead will need to be buried to prevent disease, and any of the sick who are unlikely to recover will find themselves left to die as medical resources will be so scant that they will need to be allocated to those who will definitely (not probably) survive, and who will be young and strong enough to rebuild something resembling civilisation.

Military rule and curfew is likely. Any kind of "normal" life will cease across the planet, even if your locality is unaffected by blast and relatively little windborne fallout.

There is no scenario by which "mankind" will survive. Civilisation will rewind over a thousand years in terms of hardship, disease, and international contact.

The BBC's marvellous 1984 film "Threads" gives a chillingly accurate depiction of post-exchange life. Make sure you have a stiff drink and clean pair of pants handy.

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