YMMV / The Big One

• Deliberate Values Dissonance: The Big One reflects the values and perceptions of the 1930s and 1940s, not those of the 21st century. This particularly comes out in the treatment of strategic bombing. Back then, strategic bombing was seen as a humane alternative to the horror of trench warfare on the western front. It was only during and after the war that the reality of strategic bombing campaigns became apparent and opposition to the concept grew. Likewise, when atomic bombs were first conceived and used, they were seen as just being very powerful bombs and nobody really thought that much about the implications of their use other than the fact they made bombing much more effective. Today, our attitudes about strategic bombing and using nuclear weapons are very different. In the world of The Big One, this cavalier attitude towards nuclear warfare persists much longer than it did in real life, and nuclear bombs are accordingly used much more often.