Pressing the Button: JFK and the PALs
From Atomic Hobo - Nuclear War Podcast by Julie McDowall
May 27, 2026 · 19 min
About this episode
The episode discusses how JFK addressed the challenge of preventing an unstable individual from launching a nuclear weapon.
How does a "pal" stop an "individual psychotic" from launching a nuke? JFK had the answer. To get ad-free access, and bonus episodes, visit www.patreon.com/atomichobo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Host: Julie McDowall
Topics covered
- nuclear war
- JFK
- psychology
- military strategy
- decision-making
Keywords
- nuclear
- JFK
- PALs
- launch
- psychotic
- decision-making
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