Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Changed line(s) 1,174 (click to see context) from:
[[quoteright:237:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/middle_finger_flame-1_4829.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:237:Giving the nuke ''and'' the bird all at once.]]
->''"Will you never cease prating of laws to us that have swords by our sides?"''
-->--'''[[PompeyTheGreat Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus]]'''
->''Inter arma silent leges''
-->--'''A Roman proverb''' : laws mute when weapons talk
Most of the modern world is built on the principles that justice is blind and that no man is above the law. Thing is, much as those principles are great, they rely on someone being willing and able to enforce the law. This trope is what happens when there's nobody who can or will.
Maybe someone has a bigger army than the police, maybe they have a nuke buried under a major city, maybe they just have superpowers that render them nigh-invincible, but in any case they are free to break any law they want without fear of any sort of official justice.
More formally, this is known as the "Argumentum ad Baculum" [[note]]Literally "appeal to the stick", because the face ain't listening. Veterinarians and [[FurryFandom Furries]] can stop [[HehHehYouSaidX laughing at the word Baculum now]]. [[DontExplainTheJoke And No, I'm not explaining the joke to everyone else]], [[SchmuckBait look it up if you really need to know]][[/note]] or the AppealToForce, whose logic goes essentially thus: "I'm right, and if you disagree, I beat [[hottip:*:or blow]] you up." While invalid in abstract logic, this tactic is rather persuasive in RealLife.
Some political theorists consider this to be the basis of all law. The idea is that laws are just rules enforced by the threat of violence - they don't have to be good or noble, they just have to threaten you if you break them. Needless to say, this argument is rather on the cynical side of the [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism sliding scale]], though that doesn't necessarily make it untrue.
Of course, there is a catch. Unless you have the ability to live without sleeping and eating, sooner or later you have to put down the weapon. If you're the biggest badass in the room, there's always the risk that somebody will slit your throat from behind. If your gang of supporters will avenge your death...that leaves you with the need to keep your gang happy. Plus, there's always the problem of old age...
NeedsABetterDescription. See also AnOfferYouCantRefuse, HobbesWasRight, MightMakesRight, ShootTheShaggyDog and ScrewTheRulesIHaveSupernaturalPowers!. Frequently the next step after ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem! doesn't work. Also check out DeadManSwitch for when the nuke in question is used as a bargaining chip, thus changing the rules.
----
'''Examples:'''
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* Subverted in ''Manga/GetBackers''' IL arc: TheHacker Makube X tries to threaten the {{God}} of Infinity Fortress with a literal nuke (not concerned about the fact that Tokyo would be destroyed in the process) but is defeated by the titular heroes. As [[DudeLooksLikeALady Kazuki]] points out, it never would have worked- no matter how powerful you are, {{God}} always holds all the cards.
* Prince Schneizel of ''Anime/CodeGeass'' master plan to bring about world peace with Sky Fortress Damocles essentially comes down to this. So in his case, it would be "Screw the rules, I have a lot of F.L.E.I.J.A.!"
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' does the similar thing with Anime/CodeGeass except Pain wanted the nuke in the form of a powerful jutsu.
* ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'': [[spoiler:This is actually the ultimate goal of Kuze's plan. Once the rebels have nukes, the government can't refuse to grant them independence.]]
** [[spoiler:However the government is willing to just drop a nuke on the revolting and claim it was the rebels messing up building a homemade atomic bomb.]]
* [[AGodAmI Light's]] philosophy seems to be "Screw The System I Have A ''Manga/DeathNote''."
* ''Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie'''s Mewtwo is more "Screw The Rules, I ''Am'' A Nuke, and an infinitely reusable one at that".
* This rules the world in ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', in every single village on the planet, until Kenshiro visits and kills all the bad dudes.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film]]
* ''[[StarWars Empire Strikes Back]]'', Vader keeps [[MovingTheGoalposts changing the terms]] with Lando, knowing that with the Empire holding all the cards, he doesn't have to keep his word.
--> "I am altering the deal. Pray that I do not alter it further."
** In the original, we get this played painfully straight in the case of Alderaan.
** The third film also shows that thermal detonators (literally handheld fusion exposives) make for great negotiation tools.
* Discussed in ''DrStrangelove''. When asked why the Soviets would build the Doomsday Machine, a device that could wipe out all life on Earth, the doc explains that the aforementioned implications would deter any attack on the Soviets by enemy powers. Unfortunately, the Soviets failed to tell the rest of the world that they just plugged in the Doomsday Machine, leading to TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.
* ''ThePatriot'': Col. Tavington in his introductory scene. When Martin tries to reason with him about his brutal conduct by citing the Rules of War, Tavington responds by aiming a pistol at his head (an unarmed civilian, natch) and asks him if he would like a lesson in the rules of war. [[KickTheDog Then he points it at Martin's children]].
** Tavington's own superior is disgusted with his methods, although he still defends them when prompted by Martin.
* ''{{Scanners}}'': [[spoiler:Breadon Keller]] orders a [=ConSec=] technician to do a blank swipe of the [=ConSec=] computer system in an attempt to hurt Cameron while he's mentally connected to it through the telephone system, but he refuses to do so because that would wipe out all stored computer files, something he couldn't do without the written authorization of the [=ConSec=] leadership. [[spoiler:Breadon Keller's]] response is to shove a gun in the guy's face.
-->'''[[spoiler:Breadon Keller]]''': Mister, ''this'' is your authorization.
* There's a scene in ''Film/{{Serenity}}'' when a guard at the bank the crew is robbing asks for a password. Jayne fires his machine gun.
--> ''"Okay!"''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* A quite literal example in ''Literature/SnowCrash''. Raven's habit of motorcycling around with a stolen Russian warhead rigged to explode when he dies ensures that everyone "tries to make him feel welcome."
* TheCulture of IainMBanks's novels retain this option. Described as "space hippies with super-nukes", they would prefer that you get along with them in a friendly fashion and (notwithstanding the machinations of Special Circumstances) practice the last word in "live and let live". But their ships can lay waste to planets if they have to, and that's not even the warships.
* At the end of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings: The Return of the King'', the four hobbits, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin return to the Shire to find the place in ruins and bands of "sheriffs" enforcing a staggering set of micromanaging rules governing just about everything. However, having taken on [[GodOfEvil the most evil being in the world]] and helping crush his armies, the four hobbits are not about to be cowed by this development - later revealed to be instigated by the evil wizard Saruman - and seemingly take delight in disregarding every rule and law they find. (Having the weapons, armor and battle experience they aquired during the war certainly helps.) Eventually they organize a resistance and overthrow the evil oppressors.
* ''Leviathan'', by [[HobbesWasRight Thomas Hobbes]], is one of the works best known for using this theory to explain RealLife. Interestingly, he doesn't consider it to be an especially bad thing, saying that it compares favourably to anarchy.
** Thrasymachus, one of the characters in Plato's ''Republic'' takes it a step further - he doesn't just say that law is the will of the strongest, he actually defines ''justice'' in those terms.
* This trope is the reason that Abu Sabah's theocracy is able to take over the world in ''Nuclear Holocaust NeverAgain'' -- his country had a nuke, and none of the peaceful democratic countries did, so his government nuked every capital city except their own, causing billions of deaths and leaving the democracies with no choice but to accept Sabah as their overlord.
* Specifically averted in the ''{{Dune}}'' books. Not only will use of atomics bring the wrath of the rest of the universe down on you, but the most (directly) powerful faction turns out to have no military to speak of at all; guaranteed trade and economic growth is far more important than a few million lives here or there.
** Further, most of the players recognize that politics and power are actually a complicated web of balances and counterbalances, and blatant use of raw power rarely produces the results you intended. The Bene Gesserit especially understand this, and Leto II took it further. In the ''Dune'' world, a direct-approach power player is almost surely being manipulated by someone else toward some end he doesn't even imagine. The Beast Rabban, for ex.
** Less so in the prequels (written by Herbert's son and Creator/KevinJAnderson), as shown by the rabid House Moritani that has no qualms about attacking anyone who so much as looks as them sideways, completely ignoring Landsraad rules (including Kanli). How does TheEmperor respond (especially since their actions were openly seriously the Imperium)? By shaking his finger at them. It's no wonder that they get bolder and bolder. By the end, the ruler of the House is openly threatening the Emperor with a nuke. Luckily, his [[TheDragon Dragon]] turned out not to approve of his boss's methods.
** After becoming Emperor, Paul wages a religious war of conquest that results in dozens of planets being sterilized for refusing to bow down to him as Emperor. Paul didn't ''want'' to do this, but his core following, made up exclusively of religious fanatics, wouldn't have had it any other way.
* In Robert Howard's Kull stories, Kull at one point announces that he will rule by virtue of his battle axe, unless some noble wishes to challenge him to combat. There was a touch of wish fulfillment in that story.
* ''ASongOfIceAndFire''. Stannis Baratheon insists that he should be king because he's the eldest brother. Younger brother Renly points out that he has the largest army. Meanwhile the Queen Regent Cersai Lannister is furious that her father is refusing to withdraw his forces from Harrenhal (where they're stategically placed to threaten any force that moves against the Lannisters) to directly defend the capital from the Baratheons. Her brother Tyrion points out that their father can afford to ignore her royal commands, as he has a very large army.
* This is largely the basis around which the Aes Sedai from ''WheelOfTime'' organize their hierarchy: with a few notable exceptions, more powerful channelers always outrank less powerful ones, wisdom and experience be damned.
* In ''Literature/IClaudius'', Caligula summons soldiers to hear him give a speech - including soldiers who had disobeyed him, ready to have them executed, telling that particular group to not worry about weapons or armour. His uncle, Claudius, manages to drop a hint to one captain. Caligula quickly changes his tune when those guards let it be seen that they are carrying their swords underneath their tunics.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In late season 5 of ''{{LOST}}'', the cast's mindset becomes "Screw the rules of ''time'', I have a nuke!" and then proceed to detonate the nuke to disrupt said rules of time.
* Played quite literally near the end of ''Series/{{Farscape}}'''s final story-arc: John Crichton casually strolls into a high-level diplomatic meeting between the [[LizardFolk Scarran]] Emperor and [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Peacekeeper]] Commandant Grayza (as well as their lackeys among the Charrids and Kalish) on the Scarran capital moon, [[spoiler:Katratzi]]. At first not killing him simply because they're stunned he arrived, the Scarran Emperor asks why they should let him live another minute. Crichton then pulls open his coat to reveal that he is carrying a home-made nuclear bomb, which forces the Emperor to call off his guards. Crichton then starts merrily strolling around the room while detailing the various deadman switches that the bomb operates on...then starts walking around on tables as he explains that the reason he has come is that he can't keep running forever, so he's settled for a new plan in which he will sell wormhole technology to the highest bidder among the assembled galactic political superpowers: in exchange for the bidder's protection he'll basically sell them galactic dominance. [[spoiler:Crichton was of course, lying. His real plan was to gain access to the Katratzi to rescue a prisoner, and then, to plant the nuclear bomb in a vital area of the base and "blow up the Death Star".]]
* An episode of TheOuterLimits featured a disgruntled student who invents a cold fusion bomb and threatens to destroy a major city unless his demands are met including have certain people he dislikes executed in view of him. [[spoiler:They do execute one person]].
** In another episode, a time traveler uses a similar bomb to theaten the US Government of TwentyMinutesInTheFuture, where the world has banned complex technology, to keep the ban, while another time traveler argues that it should be lifted. After he allows himself to be sent to the past without his TimeMachine, [[spoiler:his device activates and explodes, destroying Washington, D.C]].
* Screw the rules, and the nukes. I have sun-busters. In ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'', starship captains have access to Nova Bombs that are capable of destroying entire solar systems. Heavily averted in the fact that High Guard captains are [[spoiler:''were'']] too noble to ever use them in combat.
-->'''Example:''' In the first episode, ''Andromeda'' is facing [[MemeticMutation over 9000]] enemy warships.
-->'''Rhade:''' Captain, I recommend we deploy Nova Bombs.
-->'''Dylan:''' ''This system is inhabited!'' We will not use strategic weapons no matter how many ships we're up against.
-->'''Rhade:''' As you wish...
** Strange that Rhade would suggest to use them, given that [[spoiler:this would effectively end the rebellion, of which he is a part]]. Unless he knew Hunt would never go for it.
*** Actually, if Hunt did go for it, then it would mean that all is not lost for the Commonwealth, as far as the [[NietzscheWannabe Nietzscheans]] are concerned.
*** That point was expanded on through the first and early second season, as Hunt realizes via flashbacks that [[spoiler: Rhade was actually trying to hint to Hunt how Nietzscheans thought, which would lead Hunt to realize that they were a threat to the Commonwealth. And if he couldn't figure it out, he didn't deserve to survive.]]
* As Jayne Cobb of ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' would say: "You know what the chain of command is around here? It's the chain I go get and beat you with until you know who's in ruttin command!" Actually an example of a DefiedTrope. Simon knew he'd try and do this so pulled a "Screw the Rules, I have tranqs!" gambit by injecting Jayne with an anaesthetic while patching him up from an injury. Jayne's bid for power occurred just as the anaesthetic started to kick in, resulting in him falling asleep before he could complete his take-over. The crew was extremely relieved by Simon's foresight.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Music]]
* Denis Leary's song, "I'm an Asshole" features a spoken rant that's all about this:
-->You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna get myself a 1967 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, hot pink, with whale skin hubcaps and all leather cow interior and big brown baby seal eyes for headlights. Yeah! And I'm gonna drive around in that baby at 115 miles an hour, getting 1 mile per gallon, sucking down quarter-pounder cheeseburgers from [=McDonald=]'s in the old-fashioned non- biodegradable Styrofoam containers! And when I'm done suckin' down those grease ball burgers I'm gonna wipe my mouth on the American flag and then toss the Styrofoam containers right out the side, and there ain't a God-damned thing anybody can do about it. You know why? Because we got the bombs, that's why! Two words--nuclear fucking weapons, OK? Russia, Germany, Romania - they can have all the democracy they want. They can have a bid democracy cakewalk right through the middle of Tienanmen Square and it won't make a lick of difference, because we’ve got the bombs, OK?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* This [[BlatantLies never happens]] in ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}''. Friend-Computer has ensured that [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial no Troubleshooter has ever been incorrectly issued with tactical-nuclear armaments]]. Further discussion of this topic is both frivolous and treasonous.
** Thank you, Friend Computer, for this [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill entirely appropriate and correct act of issuing me a tac-nuke to go deal with one and exactly one]] [[NinjaPirateRobotZombie Commie Mutant Traitor]] while forbidden to cause collateral damage.
*** On a completely unrelated note, what are mint-condition personal tactical nuclear weapons currently selling for on C-Bay?
** There are even nuclear ''hand grenades'', which work just fine... unless you have to actually carry out the threat. Have ''you'' ever tried [[OutrunTheFireball outrunning a megaton nuclear blast]]?
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', one of the dangers of authorizing an inquisitor's use of Exterminatus. The command is used when a world is found irreversibly corrupt, damaged or infested, and is only used as a last measure, however there might be the occasional hiccup, and an entire world lost.
** Although Inquisitors are just as susceptible to being on the receiving end: they ''don't'' have a nuke, merely the authority to procure one. To perform Exterminatus, they need either the Space Marines, who are autonomous (and deadly) enough to tell them to get stuffed with a minimum of hassle or the Imperial Navy, who are commanded and equipped by organizations powerful enough that any individual Inquisitor isn't going to take them on. Only the most respected Lord Inquisitors have private warships capable of performing Exterminatus, and, lets face it, they won't make bad calls like that [[YouHaveFailedMe given the penalty for failure in the Imperium.]]
* Players themselves can let their characters' power go to their heads and decide that the laws of the land don't apply to them since they can kill any number of guards, paladins, or anything else short of (or in some cases, far exceeding) gods sent to stop them.
** And, of course, the DM can always say RocksFallEveryoneDies.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Videogames]]
* In general, many grand strategy games make it so that your people are much less likely to rebel and "happier" if you have a larger army in the area/city.
* In ''{{Overlord}}'' you could be a nice evil dictator and let the peasants worship you in peace or you could randomly kill them and ransack their homes because you know they can't offer any real resistance.
* Late-game meetings with the Dark assembly in the ''{{Disgaea}}'' games can seem a bit this way, especially in new game + . if your proposal gets denied, your insanely overpowered team can beat the senators into submission without breaking a sweat.
** And if you have beaten [[ThatOneBoss B]][[BonusBoss a]][[OverNineThousand a]][[PowerLevels l]], they recognize that you ''have a nuke'' and don't even dare to object proposals made by a main character.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Spore}}'', once you reach the Space Age you can [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential cause a planet-wide extinction]] with nothing bad happening to you. You can even use this as a strategy when trying to take planets.
** Well, nothing bad - unless you count the various surrounding space empires declaring war on you for breaking the Galactic Code, bombing your planets before your planetary annihilator has a chance to recharge and refusing to sell you any more instant-use superweapons. Wiping out whole empires one planet at a time using ''legal'' superweapons, on the other hand, is a perfectly viable strategy.
* Done ''literally'' in ''MetalGearSolid3'''s secret theater "The Ultimate Weapon." Naked Snake "cheats" playing rock-paper-scissors with The Boss. So she trumps him by nuking him.
** From point blank range. More "Screw the rules, I'm [[strike: insane]] BadAss."
* AI leaders like to invoke this trope in ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}''. "Our words are backed with NUCLEAR WEAPONS!"
* Carried over into ''GalacticCivilizations'', except instead of nukes (which are kind of weak compared to orbital railgun strikes and doom rays) you have "Terror Stars" (star destroyers in the most literal sense) or fleets of dreadnoughts with [[RuleOfCool black hole guns]].
* In SidMeiersPirates, you aren't allowed to enter a port if you have bad relations with either the port or its controlling power. You ''could'' sneak in, but it's usually easier to open the port at gunpoint.
* If you have it set and can manage to get a twenty-five kill streak in ''ModernWarfare2'' multiplayer, you can call in a tactical nuke and win the match, no matter how badly your team is doing.
* In an EasterEgg in ''VideoGame/BioShock2'', you come across three splicers talking about what happened to the protagonist of the first game and two of them suggest that he took either the good ending or the bad ending. The one who states that Jack took the bad ending that "heck, and if anyone messes with him, he's got a nuke".
* Present twice times in the backstory of the ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}'' series. The first time is when in the ancient times the Galactic Council had been called to settle a territorial dispute between Hiigara and the Taiidan Empire and favored the latter: when the Hiigaran found the Second Great Hyperspace Core (that allowed the ship with it to just go everywhere in the galaxy bringing a fleet with it) they just laid waste to the Taiidan homeworld, with the implied threat that they could do it to anyone. This backfired horribly, as the Galactic Council set on them the Bentusi, who had the First Great Hyperspace Core and enough firepower to destroy their fleet. Then, with the Hiigaran utterly defeated and the Bentusi traumatized by the battle into disarming themselves, the Taiidan Empire was left as the single strongest military power of the galaxy: the Council ordered to leave the now harmless Hiigarans alone, but the Taiidan continued burning Hiigaran worlds until the surviving Hiigarans accepted to cede their homeworld and leave in exile on a desert planet.
* One of the method of control in the ''VideoGame/{{Tropico}}'' series. Provided you have a large enough army you can remain in control of your BananaRepublic pretty much indefinitely. You can also literally invoke this in #4; building a nuclear program will prevent the USA and USSR from invading your island.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' has many examples. Notably, Tagon's mercenaries have been legally commissioned to hunt and kill attorney-drones. People tend to get very upset when you gun down their lawyers, but as Captain Tagon says to one such upset client: "Get as mad as you want. You'll have a hard time suing me."
** Another notable example; during the {{CSI}} AffectionateParody, the Warrick {{Expy}} says that while they have enough evidence to hold Schlock, they have to let Tagon go. The Grissom Expy comments that Tagon can go back to his mercenary company and return in force to break his sergeant out, which is why the judge is "visiting friends" in a bunker on the other side of the planet.
* ''Webcomic/{{Adventurers}}'': "That doesn't make much sense." "I have the most powerful handgun ever made. It doesn't have to."
* BobTheAngryFlower believes that if ''everybody'' had a nuke, than nobody would ever argue with each other. [[ApocalypseHow It doesn't work.]]
* HowIKilledYourMaster : [[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2010/06/21/how-i-killed-your-master-055/ #055]]
-->'''Fang Lin:''' ''"So this '''nobody''' of a farmer, '''Meng Qi''', he pops up and says he's Yan Yu's '''nephew'''. He accuses General Wen of usurping the governor's court, says he has no authority beyond the tip of a '''spear'''."''
-->'''Liu Wong:''' ''"What'd Wen Yuan say to '''that'''?"''
-->'''Fang Lin:''' ''"'Good thing I have '''five thousand''' of them'."''
-->'''Liu Wong:''' ''"Ha!"'' *{{beat}}* ''"Well, it '''is''' a good point."''
* In ''{{Sinfest}}'', [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2197 Satan says he had a permit to hunt angels -- his gun, pointed at the person asking.]]
* {{Nedroid}} : [[http://nedroid.com/2008/07/1812-askbeartato-ransom/ When Reginald is taken hostage:]]
-->'''Beartato:''' Give me three thousand dollars!
-->'''Bank Teller:''' Do you have an account with us?
-->'''Beartato:''' I have a '''missile!'''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'''s 3rd season episode "War is the H word", Bender has THE BOMB implanted inside his body and it will ''detonate the instant the robot unwittingly speaks a certain word'', wiping out an entire planet. It's the one word he uses more than any other: [[spoiler:ASS]]. After finding that out he starts a game of ''Make Bender happy or he blows up the planet!''
** This trope also happens in "Bender's Game" (Screw the Rules, I Have A Big Stick) when Leegola tries to convince the [[PlanetOfHats peaceful centaurs]] to join in the fight against the EvilOverlord and agrees to their contest for leadership... Tedious Debate! Later Leegola shows up leading the army:
--> '''Leegola''': Prepare to fire again, brave cowards!
--> '''Hermaphrodite''': I still say, I won the debate. ''*Leegola strikes him in the stomach with a piece of wood.*''
* Rare Western example: Finnish political satire ''Itsevaltiaat'', the Finnish government finds an abandoned handheld nuclear bomb. In the next EU meeting, the Finnish president tries to speak, but is constantly interrupted and ignored. The Finnish PM proceeds to pull the nuke out of his case and demand attention. Later his government comrades call him out.
--> '''Man:''' You can't just pull that nuke whenever you want to talk.
--> '''PM:''' Yes, yes I can. We have a nuke now, and it gives us access to tables where decisions are DONE.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Real Life]]
* This was AncientRome's MO. "Give us your country. No? Good luck with that!"
* Unfortunately, this (sometimes) seems to be a part of United States foreign policy. It usually happens to any nation that is the world's superpower at that moment. Exemplified in the USA's case by TheodoreRoosevelt's (in)famous quote, "If you speak softly and carry a big stick, you will go far."
** [[OlderThanTheyThink Roosevelt himself was quoting a West African proverb.]]
** Er...isn't that the definition of "superpower of the moment"?
*** Open to question since only the USA and the USSR, in the modern age, have been disproportionately powerful to be considered superpowers and much of the Cold War consisted of both sides screwing the rules. Now that the USSR has collapsed, we're just left with the USA screwing the rules and no real historical comparison to justify it.
** Other historical examples include the British Empire, most notably during the Opium Wars where the choices presented to China were to trade on Britain's terms or face war; and a rare one-man example in Julius Caesar, who proceeded to conquer Gaul despite the Roman Senate's protests that doing so was both unnecessary and illegal.
** The Chinese themselves pulled this trope many times in their long history, right up until the Opium Wars, when they effectively held British traders and capital hostage in exchange for the cessation of the Opium trade. This turned out to be a bad move - this tactic only works if you have the ''biggest'' nuke.
* [[NorthKoreansWithNodongs North Korea]]. Somewhat subverted in that everyone else just thinks they're nuts, and everyone around them has more/better nukes.
** To say nothing of the fact that they have, to paraphrase Tony Stark, "performance issues" with their hardware. Hard to nuke anyone if you can't get your rockets and warheads to work.
** Of course, these performance issues are less funny if you live in Japan or South Korea, given that they can still hit an area the size of a country at that range...with a catapult.
** That is if they can properly aim your nuke and it won't explode in mid flight.
* One faction of early Muslim leaders claimed to be descended from one of Muhammed's daughters. When asked to provide evidence of this by a group of scholars the leader apparently drew his sword, placed it on the man's neck and said "this is my evidence". The Scholars decided not to press the issue.
* The security council of the UN has the 5 traditional nuclear powers with veto powers that can prevent any action. Thus, by having a nuke, you too can help set world policy.
** [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections If you were on the winning side of]] [[WhatHaveYouDoneForMeLately World War II.]]
*** It made sense when the UN was set up, in the 1940s, when Britain and France controlled all of Africa and much of Asia. Nowadays? Not so much. (Though the British and French armies are still the only ones in the EU with any real ability to project power.)
**** More precisely, UK and France still have the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures third and fourth]] biggest military budgets, and so, they are still able [[SuperweaponSurprise to lay waste to most countries in the world]] should their public opinion get pissed enough.
**** And ''this'' time, they have German factories on their side. Important to note: they probably wouldn't have the ''Bundeswehr'' unless Germany had actually been attacked; WorldWarII gave the Germans a collective allergy to war. (This, incidentally, is one of the two primary arguments against Germany's receiving a permanent seat on the Council--Council members must be able ''and willing'' to project power to enforce Council decisions. The other reason is that Europe is overrepresented.)
**** It's not an issue of military budgets but of capability to project power worldwide which is actually extremely rare and something only a very few countries have, including the United States, France and Britain. China, which has a military budget which dwarfs that of the two European powers, does not have this capability as it lacks a blue water navy (ie a navy capable of transporting its military around the world and defending them).
* "You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with just a kind word." - AlCapone
** By the way--this sounds incredibly awesome when spoken by LeonardNimoy for ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} IV''.
* This is what every BananaRepublic and 3rd-world extremist group wants to do, all day long.
* Louis XIV of France referenced this when commissioning artillery for his armies: every cannon was cast with the motto ''VLTIMA RATIO REGVM'' on the barrel. The meaning? "The last argument of Kings"
* This is how gangs gain local power. You do what they say, or they beat the crap out of you.
** As do bullies at school.
* There is a story about a group of [[TheKnightsTemplar Templars]] who were put on trial in a small village a short time after the Templars were declared heretics. This group, being GenreSavvy, and being the dominant military power in the area, arrived to their trial mounted on horseback, fully armed and armored. They were all acquitted and set free.
* Julius Caesar is a perfect example of this. It had long been the case in the late Roman Republic that some individuals were stronger than the enfeebled State and were capable of overwhelming it but Caesar was the first to actually act on it with his famous crossing of the Rubicon ("the die is cast"). He wasn't afraid of the Roman state confronting him but of another powerful individual - Pompey - doing so in the name of the Roman state. Once Pompey was defeated the sham of the republic's supposed rule of law was revealed and the Senate had no choice but to make Caesar dictator and thus make in law what already existed in fact. Once Caesar had shown that power, and not the laws of the state, were what determined who controlled Rome he set the stage for the state of Roman politics for centuries to come.
[[/folder]]
----
[[caption-width-right:237:Giving the nuke ''and'' the bird all at once.]]
->''"Will you never cease prating of laws to us that have swords by our sides?"''
-->--'''[[PompeyTheGreat Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus]]'''
->''Inter arma silent leges''
-->--'''A Roman proverb''' : laws mute when weapons talk
Most of the modern world is built on the principles that justice is blind and that no man is above the law. Thing is, much as those principles are great, they rely on someone being willing and able to enforce the law. This trope is what happens when there's nobody who can or will.
Maybe someone has a bigger army than the police, maybe they have a nuke buried under a major city, maybe they just have superpowers that render them nigh-invincible, but in any case they are free to break any law they want without fear of any sort of official justice.
More formally, this is known as the "Argumentum ad Baculum" [[note]]Literally "appeal to the stick", because the face ain't listening. Veterinarians and [[FurryFandom Furries]] can stop [[HehHehYouSaidX laughing at the word Baculum now]]. [[DontExplainTheJoke And No, I'm not explaining the joke to everyone else]], [[SchmuckBait look it up if you really need to know]][[/note]] or the AppealToForce, whose logic goes essentially thus: "I'm right, and if you disagree, I beat [[hottip:*:or blow]] you up." While invalid in abstract logic, this tactic is rather persuasive in RealLife.
Some political theorists consider this to be the basis of all law. The idea is that laws are just rules enforced by the threat of violence - they don't have to be good or noble, they just have to threaten you if you break them. Needless to say, this argument is rather on the cynical side of the [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism sliding scale]], though that doesn't necessarily make it untrue.
Of course, there is a catch. Unless you have the ability to live without sleeping and eating, sooner or later you have to put down the weapon. If you're the biggest badass in the room, there's always the risk that somebody will slit your throat from behind. If your gang of supporters will avenge your death...that leaves you with the need to keep your gang happy. Plus, there's always the problem of old age...
NeedsABetterDescription. See also AnOfferYouCantRefuse, HobbesWasRight, MightMakesRight, ShootTheShaggyDog and ScrewTheRulesIHaveSupernaturalPowers!. Frequently the next step after ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem! doesn't work. Also check out DeadManSwitch for when the nuke in question is used as a bargaining chip, thus changing the rules.
----
'''Examples:'''
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* Subverted in ''Manga/GetBackers''' IL arc: TheHacker Makube X tries to threaten the {{God}} of Infinity Fortress with a literal nuke (not concerned about the fact that Tokyo would be destroyed in the process) but is defeated by the titular heroes. As [[DudeLooksLikeALady Kazuki]] points out, it never would have worked- no matter how powerful you are, {{God}} always holds all the cards.
* Prince Schneizel of ''Anime/CodeGeass'' master plan to bring about world peace with Sky Fortress Damocles essentially comes down to this. So in his case, it would be "Screw the rules, I have a lot of F.L.E.I.J.A.!"
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' does the similar thing with Anime/CodeGeass except Pain wanted the nuke in the form of a powerful jutsu.
* ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'': [[spoiler:This is actually the ultimate goal of Kuze's plan. Once the rebels have nukes, the government can't refuse to grant them independence.]]
** [[spoiler:However the government is willing to just drop a nuke on the revolting and claim it was the rebels messing up building a homemade atomic bomb.]]
* [[AGodAmI Light's]] philosophy seems to be "Screw The System I Have A ''Manga/DeathNote''."
* ''Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie'''s Mewtwo is more "Screw The Rules, I ''Am'' A Nuke, and an infinitely reusable one at that".
* This rules the world in ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', in every single village on the planet, until Kenshiro visits and kills all the bad dudes.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film]]
* ''[[StarWars Empire Strikes Back]]'', Vader keeps [[MovingTheGoalposts changing the terms]] with Lando, knowing that with the Empire holding all the cards, he doesn't have to keep his word.
--> "I am altering the deal. Pray that I do not alter it further."
** In the original, we get this played painfully straight in the case of Alderaan.
** The third film also shows that thermal detonators (literally handheld fusion exposives) make for great negotiation tools.
* Discussed in ''DrStrangelove''. When asked why the Soviets would build the Doomsday Machine, a device that could wipe out all life on Earth, the doc explains that the aforementioned implications would deter any attack on the Soviets by enemy powers. Unfortunately, the Soviets failed to tell the rest of the world that they just plugged in the Doomsday Machine, leading to TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.
* ''ThePatriot'': Col. Tavington in his introductory scene. When Martin tries to reason with him about his brutal conduct by citing the Rules of War, Tavington responds by aiming a pistol at his head (an unarmed civilian, natch) and asks him if he would like a lesson in the rules of war. [[KickTheDog Then he points it at Martin's children]].
** Tavington's own superior is disgusted with his methods, although he still defends them when prompted by Martin.
* ''{{Scanners}}'': [[spoiler:Breadon Keller]] orders a [=ConSec=] technician to do a blank swipe of the [=ConSec=] computer system in an attempt to hurt Cameron while he's mentally connected to it through the telephone system, but he refuses to do so because that would wipe out all stored computer files, something he couldn't do without the written authorization of the [=ConSec=] leadership. [[spoiler:Breadon Keller's]] response is to shove a gun in the guy's face.
-->'''[[spoiler:Breadon Keller]]''': Mister, ''this'' is your authorization.
* There's a scene in ''Film/{{Serenity}}'' when a guard at the bank the crew is robbing asks for a password. Jayne fires his machine gun.
--> ''"Okay!"''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* A quite literal example in ''Literature/SnowCrash''. Raven's habit of motorcycling around with a stolen Russian warhead rigged to explode when he dies ensures that everyone "tries to make him feel welcome."
* TheCulture of IainMBanks's novels retain this option. Described as "space hippies with super-nukes", they would prefer that you get along with them in a friendly fashion and (notwithstanding the machinations of Special Circumstances) practice the last word in "live and let live". But their ships can lay waste to planets if they have to, and that's not even the warships.
* At the end of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings: The Return of the King'', the four hobbits, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin return to the Shire to find the place in ruins and bands of "sheriffs" enforcing a staggering set of micromanaging rules governing just about everything. However, having taken on [[GodOfEvil the most evil being in the world]] and helping crush his armies, the four hobbits are not about to be cowed by this development - later revealed to be instigated by the evil wizard Saruman - and seemingly take delight in disregarding every rule and law they find. (Having the weapons, armor and battle experience they aquired during the war certainly helps.) Eventually they organize a resistance and overthrow the evil oppressors.
* ''Leviathan'', by [[HobbesWasRight Thomas Hobbes]], is one of the works best known for using this theory to explain RealLife. Interestingly, he doesn't consider it to be an especially bad thing, saying that it compares favourably to anarchy.
** Thrasymachus, one of the characters in Plato's ''Republic'' takes it a step further - he doesn't just say that law is the will of the strongest, he actually defines ''justice'' in those terms.
* This trope is the reason that Abu Sabah's theocracy is able to take over the world in ''Nuclear Holocaust NeverAgain'' -- his country had a nuke, and none of the peaceful democratic countries did, so his government nuked every capital city except their own, causing billions of deaths and leaving the democracies with no choice but to accept Sabah as their overlord.
* Specifically averted in the ''{{Dune}}'' books. Not only will use of atomics bring the wrath of the rest of the universe down on you, but the most (directly) powerful faction turns out to have no military to speak of at all; guaranteed trade and economic growth is far more important than a few million lives here or there.
** Further, most of the players recognize that politics and power are actually a complicated web of balances and counterbalances, and blatant use of raw power rarely produces the results you intended. The Bene Gesserit especially understand this, and Leto II took it further. In the ''Dune'' world, a direct-approach power player is almost surely being manipulated by someone else toward some end he doesn't even imagine. The Beast Rabban, for ex.
** Less so in the prequels (written by Herbert's son and Creator/KevinJAnderson), as shown by the rabid House Moritani that has no qualms about attacking anyone who so much as looks as them sideways, completely ignoring Landsraad rules (including Kanli). How does TheEmperor respond (especially since their actions were openly seriously the Imperium)? By shaking his finger at them. It's no wonder that they get bolder and bolder. By the end, the ruler of the House is openly threatening the Emperor with a nuke. Luckily, his [[TheDragon Dragon]] turned out not to approve of his boss's methods.
** After becoming Emperor, Paul wages a religious war of conquest that results in dozens of planets being sterilized for refusing to bow down to him as Emperor. Paul didn't ''want'' to do this, but his core following, made up exclusively of religious fanatics, wouldn't have had it any other way.
* In Robert Howard's Kull stories, Kull at one point announces that he will rule by virtue of his battle axe, unless some noble wishes to challenge him to combat. There was a touch of wish fulfillment in that story.
* ''ASongOfIceAndFire''. Stannis Baratheon insists that he should be king because he's the eldest brother. Younger brother Renly points out that he has the largest army. Meanwhile the Queen Regent Cersai Lannister is furious that her father is refusing to withdraw his forces from Harrenhal (where they're stategically placed to threaten any force that moves against the Lannisters) to directly defend the capital from the Baratheons. Her brother Tyrion points out that their father can afford to ignore her royal commands, as he has a very large army.
* This is largely the basis around which the Aes Sedai from ''WheelOfTime'' organize their hierarchy: with a few notable exceptions, more powerful channelers always outrank less powerful ones, wisdom and experience be damned.
* In ''Literature/IClaudius'', Caligula summons soldiers to hear him give a speech - including soldiers who had disobeyed him, ready to have them executed, telling that particular group to not worry about weapons or armour. His uncle, Claudius, manages to drop a hint to one captain. Caligula quickly changes his tune when those guards let it be seen that they are carrying their swords underneath their tunics.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In late season 5 of ''{{LOST}}'', the cast's mindset becomes "Screw the rules of ''time'', I have a nuke!" and then proceed to detonate the nuke to disrupt said rules of time.
* Played quite literally near the end of ''Series/{{Farscape}}'''s final story-arc: John Crichton casually strolls into a high-level diplomatic meeting between the [[LizardFolk Scarran]] Emperor and [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Peacekeeper]] Commandant Grayza (as well as their lackeys among the Charrids and Kalish) on the Scarran capital moon, [[spoiler:Katratzi]]. At first not killing him simply because they're stunned he arrived, the Scarran Emperor asks why they should let him live another minute. Crichton then pulls open his coat to reveal that he is carrying a home-made nuclear bomb, which forces the Emperor to call off his guards. Crichton then starts merrily strolling around the room while detailing the various deadman switches that the bomb operates on...then starts walking around on tables as he explains that the reason he has come is that he can't keep running forever, so he's settled for a new plan in which he will sell wormhole technology to the highest bidder among the assembled galactic political superpowers: in exchange for the bidder's protection he'll basically sell them galactic dominance. [[spoiler:Crichton was of course, lying. His real plan was to gain access to the Katratzi to rescue a prisoner, and then, to plant the nuclear bomb in a vital area of the base and "blow up the Death Star".]]
* An episode of TheOuterLimits featured a disgruntled student who invents a cold fusion bomb and threatens to destroy a major city unless his demands are met including have certain people he dislikes executed in view of him. [[spoiler:They do execute one person]].
** In another episode, a time traveler uses a similar bomb to theaten the US Government of TwentyMinutesInTheFuture, where the world has banned complex technology, to keep the ban, while another time traveler argues that it should be lifted. After he allows himself to be sent to the past without his TimeMachine, [[spoiler:his device activates and explodes, destroying Washington, D.C]].
* Screw the rules, and the nukes. I have sun-busters. In ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'', starship captains have access to Nova Bombs that are capable of destroying entire solar systems. Heavily averted in the fact that High Guard captains are [[spoiler:''were'']] too noble to ever use them in combat.
-->'''Example:''' In the first episode, ''Andromeda'' is facing [[MemeticMutation over 9000]] enemy warships.
-->'''Rhade:''' Captain, I recommend we deploy Nova Bombs.
-->'''Dylan:''' ''This system is inhabited!'' We will not use strategic weapons no matter how many ships we're up against.
-->'''Rhade:''' As you wish...
** Strange that Rhade would suggest to use them, given that [[spoiler:this would effectively end the rebellion, of which he is a part]]. Unless he knew Hunt would never go for it.
*** Actually, if Hunt did go for it, then it would mean that all is not lost for the Commonwealth, as far as the [[NietzscheWannabe Nietzscheans]] are concerned.
*** That point was expanded on through the first and early second season, as Hunt realizes via flashbacks that [[spoiler: Rhade was actually trying to hint to Hunt how Nietzscheans thought, which would lead Hunt to realize that they were a threat to the Commonwealth. And if he couldn't figure it out, he didn't deserve to survive.]]
* As Jayne Cobb of ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' would say: "You know what the chain of command is around here? It's the chain I go get and beat you with until you know who's in ruttin command!" Actually an example of a DefiedTrope. Simon knew he'd try and do this so pulled a "Screw the Rules, I have tranqs!" gambit by injecting Jayne with an anaesthetic while patching him up from an injury. Jayne's bid for power occurred just as the anaesthetic started to kick in, resulting in him falling asleep before he could complete his take-over. The crew was extremely relieved by Simon's foresight.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Music]]
* Denis Leary's song, "I'm an Asshole" features a spoken rant that's all about this:
-->You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna get myself a 1967 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, hot pink, with whale skin hubcaps and all leather cow interior and big brown baby seal eyes for headlights. Yeah! And I'm gonna drive around in that baby at 115 miles an hour, getting 1 mile per gallon, sucking down quarter-pounder cheeseburgers from [=McDonald=]'s in the old-fashioned non- biodegradable Styrofoam containers! And when I'm done suckin' down those grease ball burgers I'm gonna wipe my mouth on the American flag and then toss the Styrofoam containers right out the side, and there ain't a God-damned thing anybody can do about it. You know why? Because we got the bombs, that's why! Two words--nuclear fucking weapons, OK? Russia, Germany, Romania - they can have all the democracy they want. They can have a bid democracy cakewalk right through the middle of Tienanmen Square and it won't make a lick of difference, because we’ve got the bombs, OK?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* This [[BlatantLies never happens]] in ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}''. Friend-Computer has ensured that [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial no Troubleshooter has ever been incorrectly issued with tactical-nuclear armaments]]. Further discussion of this topic is both frivolous and treasonous.
** Thank you, Friend Computer, for this [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill entirely appropriate and correct act of issuing me a tac-nuke to go deal with one and exactly one]] [[NinjaPirateRobotZombie Commie Mutant Traitor]] while forbidden to cause collateral damage.
*** On a completely unrelated note, what are mint-condition personal tactical nuclear weapons currently selling for on C-Bay?
** There are even nuclear ''hand grenades'', which work just fine... unless you have to actually carry out the threat. Have ''you'' ever tried [[OutrunTheFireball outrunning a megaton nuclear blast]]?
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', one of the dangers of authorizing an inquisitor's use of Exterminatus. The command is used when a world is found irreversibly corrupt, damaged or infested, and is only used as a last measure, however there might be the occasional hiccup, and an entire world lost.
** Although Inquisitors are just as susceptible to being on the receiving end: they ''don't'' have a nuke, merely the authority to procure one. To perform Exterminatus, they need either the Space Marines, who are autonomous (and deadly) enough to tell them to get stuffed with a minimum of hassle or the Imperial Navy, who are commanded and equipped by organizations powerful enough that any individual Inquisitor isn't going to take them on. Only the most respected Lord Inquisitors have private warships capable of performing Exterminatus, and, lets face it, they won't make bad calls like that [[YouHaveFailedMe given the penalty for failure in the Imperium.]]
* Players themselves can let their characters' power go to their heads and decide that the laws of the land don't apply to them since they can kill any number of guards, paladins, or anything else short of (or in some cases, far exceeding) gods sent to stop them.
** And, of course, the DM can always say RocksFallEveryoneDies.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Videogames]]
* In general, many grand strategy games make it so that your people are much less likely to rebel and "happier" if you have a larger army in the area/city.
* In ''{{Overlord}}'' you could be a nice evil dictator and let the peasants worship you in peace or you could randomly kill them and ransack their homes because you know they can't offer any real resistance.
* Late-game meetings with the Dark assembly in the ''{{Disgaea}}'' games can seem a bit this way, especially in new game + . if your proposal gets denied, your insanely overpowered team can beat the senators into submission without breaking a sweat.
** And if you have beaten [[ThatOneBoss B]][[BonusBoss a]][[OverNineThousand a]][[PowerLevels l]], they recognize that you ''have a nuke'' and don't even dare to object proposals made by a main character.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Spore}}'', once you reach the Space Age you can [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential cause a planet-wide extinction]] with nothing bad happening to you. You can even use this as a strategy when trying to take planets.
** Well, nothing bad - unless you count the various surrounding space empires declaring war on you for breaking the Galactic Code, bombing your planets before your planetary annihilator has a chance to recharge and refusing to sell you any more instant-use superweapons. Wiping out whole empires one planet at a time using ''legal'' superweapons, on the other hand, is a perfectly viable strategy.
* Done ''literally'' in ''MetalGearSolid3'''s secret theater "The Ultimate Weapon." Naked Snake "cheats" playing rock-paper-scissors with The Boss. So she trumps him by nuking him.
** From point blank range. More "Screw the rules, I'm [[strike: insane]] BadAss."
* AI leaders like to invoke this trope in ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}''. "Our words are backed with NUCLEAR WEAPONS!"
* Carried over into ''GalacticCivilizations'', except instead of nukes (which are kind of weak compared to orbital railgun strikes and doom rays) you have "Terror Stars" (star destroyers in the most literal sense) or fleets of dreadnoughts with [[RuleOfCool black hole guns]].
* In SidMeiersPirates, you aren't allowed to enter a port if you have bad relations with either the port or its controlling power. You ''could'' sneak in, but it's usually easier to open the port at gunpoint.
* If you have it set and can manage to get a twenty-five kill streak in ''ModernWarfare2'' multiplayer, you can call in a tactical nuke and win the match, no matter how badly your team is doing.
* In an EasterEgg in ''VideoGame/BioShock2'', you come across three splicers talking about what happened to the protagonist of the first game and two of them suggest that he took either the good ending or the bad ending. The one who states that Jack took the bad ending that "heck, and if anyone messes with him, he's got a nuke".
* Present twice times in the backstory of the ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}'' series. The first time is when in the ancient times the Galactic Council had been called to settle a territorial dispute between Hiigara and the Taiidan Empire and favored the latter: when the Hiigaran found the Second Great Hyperspace Core (that allowed the ship with it to just go everywhere in the galaxy bringing a fleet with it) they just laid waste to the Taiidan homeworld, with the implied threat that they could do it to anyone. This backfired horribly, as the Galactic Council set on them the Bentusi, who had the First Great Hyperspace Core and enough firepower to destroy their fleet. Then, with the Hiigaran utterly defeated and the Bentusi traumatized by the battle into disarming themselves, the Taiidan Empire was left as the single strongest military power of the galaxy: the Council ordered to leave the now harmless Hiigarans alone, but the Taiidan continued burning Hiigaran worlds until the surviving Hiigarans accepted to cede their homeworld and leave in exile on a desert planet.
* One of the method of control in the ''VideoGame/{{Tropico}}'' series. Provided you have a large enough army you can remain in control of your BananaRepublic pretty much indefinitely. You can also literally invoke this in #4; building a nuclear program will prevent the USA and USSR from invading your island.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' has many examples. Notably, Tagon's mercenaries have been legally commissioned to hunt and kill attorney-drones. People tend to get very upset when you gun down their lawyers, but as Captain Tagon says to one such upset client: "Get as mad as you want. You'll have a hard time suing me."
** Another notable example; during the {{CSI}} AffectionateParody, the Warrick {{Expy}} says that while they have enough evidence to hold Schlock, they have to let Tagon go. The Grissom Expy comments that Tagon can go back to his mercenary company and return in force to break his sergeant out, which is why the judge is "visiting friends" in a bunker on the other side of the planet.
* ''Webcomic/{{Adventurers}}'': "That doesn't make much sense." "I have the most powerful handgun ever made. It doesn't have to."
* BobTheAngryFlower believes that if ''everybody'' had a nuke, than nobody would ever argue with each other. [[ApocalypseHow It doesn't work.]]
* HowIKilledYourMaster : [[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2010/06/21/how-i-killed-your-master-055/ #055]]
-->'''Fang Lin:''' ''"So this '''nobody''' of a farmer, '''Meng Qi''', he pops up and says he's Yan Yu's '''nephew'''. He accuses General Wen of usurping the governor's court, says he has no authority beyond the tip of a '''spear'''."''
-->'''Liu Wong:''' ''"What'd Wen Yuan say to '''that'''?"''
-->'''Fang Lin:''' ''"'Good thing I have '''five thousand''' of them'."''
-->'''Liu Wong:''' ''"Ha!"'' *{{beat}}* ''"Well, it '''is''' a good point."''
* In ''{{Sinfest}}'', [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2197 Satan says he had a permit to hunt angels -- his gun, pointed at the person asking.]]
* {{Nedroid}} : [[http://nedroid.com/2008/07/1812-askbeartato-ransom/ When Reginald is taken hostage:]]
-->'''Beartato:''' Give me three thousand dollars!
-->'''Bank Teller:''' Do you have an account with us?
-->'''Beartato:''' I have a '''missile!'''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'''s 3rd season episode "War is the H word", Bender has THE BOMB implanted inside his body and it will ''detonate the instant the robot unwittingly speaks a certain word'', wiping out an entire planet. It's the one word he uses more than any other: [[spoiler:ASS]]. After finding that out he starts a game of ''Make Bender happy or he blows up the planet!''
** This trope also happens in "Bender's Game" (Screw the Rules, I Have A Big Stick) when Leegola tries to convince the [[PlanetOfHats peaceful centaurs]] to join in the fight against the EvilOverlord and agrees to their contest for leadership... Tedious Debate! Later Leegola shows up leading the army:
--> '''Leegola''': Prepare to fire again, brave cowards!
--> '''Hermaphrodite''': I still say, I won the debate. ''*Leegola strikes him in the stomach with a piece of wood.*''
* Rare Western example: Finnish political satire ''Itsevaltiaat'', the Finnish government finds an abandoned handheld nuclear bomb. In the next EU meeting, the Finnish president tries to speak, but is constantly interrupted and ignored. The Finnish PM proceeds to pull the nuke out of his case and demand attention. Later his government comrades call him out.
--> '''Man:''' You can't just pull that nuke whenever you want to talk.
--> '''PM:''' Yes, yes I can. We have a nuke now, and it gives us access to tables where decisions are DONE.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Real Life]]
* This was AncientRome's MO. "Give us your country. No? Good luck with that!"
* Unfortunately, this (sometimes) seems to be a part of United States foreign policy. It usually happens to any nation that is the world's superpower at that moment. Exemplified in the USA's case by TheodoreRoosevelt's (in)famous quote, "If you speak softly and carry a big stick, you will go far."
** [[OlderThanTheyThink Roosevelt himself was quoting a West African proverb.]]
** Er...isn't that the definition of "superpower of the moment"?
*** Open to question since only the USA and the USSR, in the modern age, have been disproportionately powerful to be considered superpowers and much of the Cold War consisted of both sides screwing the rules. Now that the USSR has collapsed, we're just left with the USA screwing the rules and no real historical comparison to justify it.
** Other historical examples include the British Empire, most notably during the Opium Wars where the choices presented to China were to trade on Britain's terms or face war; and a rare one-man example in Julius Caesar, who proceeded to conquer Gaul despite the Roman Senate's protests that doing so was both unnecessary and illegal.
** The Chinese themselves pulled this trope many times in their long history, right up until the Opium Wars, when they effectively held British traders and capital hostage in exchange for the cessation of the Opium trade. This turned out to be a bad move - this tactic only works if you have the ''biggest'' nuke.
* [[NorthKoreansWithNodongs North Korea]]. Somewhat subverted in that everyone else just thinks they're nuts, and everyone around them has more/better nukes.
** To say nothing of the fact that they have, to paraphrase Tony Stark, "performance issues" with their hardware. Hard to nuke anyone if you can't get your rockets and warheads to work.
** Of course, these performance issues are less funny if you live in Japan or South Korea, given that they can still hit an area the size of a country at that range...with a catapult.
** That is if they can properly aim your nuke and it won't explode in mid flight.
* One faction of early Muslim leaders claimed to be descended from one of Muhammed's daughters. When asked to provide evidence of this by a group of scholars the leader apparently drew his sword, placed it on the man's neck and said "this is my evidence". The Scholars decided not to press the issue.
* The security council of the UN has the 5 traditional nuclear powers with veto powers that can prevent any action. Thus, by having a nuke, you too can help set world policy.
** [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections If you were on the winning side of]] [[WhatHaveYouDoneForMeLately World War II.]]
*** It made sense when the UN was set up, in the 1940s, when Britain and France controlled all of Africa and much of Asia. Nowadays? Not so much. (Though the British and French armies are still the only ones in the EU with any real ability to project power.)
**** More precisely, UK and France still have the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures third and fourth]] biggest military budgets, and so, they are still able [[SuperweaponSurprise to lay waste to most countries in the world]] should their public opinion get pissed enough.
**** And ''this'' time, they have German factories on their side. Important to note: they probably wouldn't have the ''Bundeswehr'' unless Germany had actually been attacked; WorldWarII gave the Germans a collective allergy to war. (This, incidentally, is one of the two primary arguments against Germany's receiving a permanent seat on the Council--Council members must be able ''and willing'' to project power to enforce Council decisions. The other reason is that Europe is overrepresented.)
**** It's not an issue of military budgets but of capability to project power worldwide which is actually extremely rare and something only a very few countries have, including the United States, France and Britain. China, which has a military budget which dwarfs that of the two European powers, does not have this capability as it lacks a blue water navy (ie a navy capable of transporting its military around the world and defending them).
* "You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with just a kind word." - AlCapone
** By the way--this sounds incredibly awesome when spoken by LeonardNimoy for ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} IV''.
* This is what every BananaRepublic and 3rd-world extremist group wants to do, all day long.
* Louis XIV of France referenced this when commissioning artillery for his armies: every cannon was cast with the motto ''VLTIMA RATIO REGVM'' on the barrel. The meaning? "The last argument of Kings"
* This is how gangs gain local power. You do what they say, or they beat the crap out of you.
** As do bullies at school.
* There is a story about a group of [[TheKnightsTemplar Templars]] who were put on trial in a small village a short time after the Templars were declared heretics. This group, being GenreSavvy, and being the dominant military power in the area, arrived to their trial mounted on horseback, fully armed and armored. They were all acquitted and set free.
* Julius Caesar is a perfect example of this. It had long been the case in the late Roman Republic that some individuals were stronger than the enfeebled State and were capable of overwhelming it but Caesar was the first to actually act on it with his famous crossing of the Rubicon ("the die is cast"). He wasn't afraid of the Roman state confronting him but of another powerful individual - Pompey - doing so in the name of the Roman state. Once Pompey was defeated the sham of the republic's supposed rule of law was revealed and the Senate had no choice but to make Caesar dictator and thus make in law what already existed in fact. Once Caesar had shown that power, and not the laws of the state, were what determined who controlled Rome he set the stage for the state of Roman politics for centuries to come.
[[/folder]]
----
to:
[[caption-width-right:237:Giving the nuke ''and'' the bird all at once.]]
->''"Will you never cease prating of laws to us that have swords by our sides?"''
-->--'''[[PompeyTheGreat Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus]]'''
->''Inter arma silent leges''
-->--'''A Roman proverb''' : laws mute when weapons talk
Most of the modern world is built on the principles that justice is blind and that no man is above the law. Thing is, much as those principles are great, they rely on someone being willing and able to enforce the law. This trope is what happens when there's nobody who can or will.
Maybe someone has a bigger army than the police, maybe they have a nuke buried under a major city, maybe they just have superpowers that render them nigh-invincible, but in any case they are free to break any law they want without fear of any sort of official justice.
More formally, this is known as the "Argumentum ad Baculum" [[note]]Literally "appeal to the stick", because the face ain't listening. Veterinarians and [[FurryFandom Furries]] can stop [[HehHehYouSaidX laughing at the word Baculum now]]. [[DontExplainTheJoke And No, I'm not explaining the joke to everyone else]], [[SchmuckBait look it up if you really need to know]][[/note]] or the AppealToForce, whose logic goes essentially thus: "I'm right, and if you disagree, I beat [[hottip:*:or blow]] you up." While invalid in abstract logic, this tactic is rather persuasive in RealLife.
Some political theorists consider this to be the basis of all law. The idea is that laws are just rules enforced by the threat of violence - they don't have to be good or noble, they just have to threaten you if you break them. Needless to say, this argument is rather on the cynical side of the [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism sliding scale]], though that doesn't necessarily make it untrue.
Of course, there is a catch. Unless you have the ability to live without sleeping and eating, sooner or later you have to put down the weapon. If you're the biggest badass in the room, there's always the risk that somebody will slit your throat from behind. If your gang of supporters will avenge your death...that leaves you with the need to keep your gang happy. Plus, there's always the problem of old age...
NeedsABetterDescription. See also AnOfferYouCantRefuse, HobbesWasRight, MightMakesRight, ShootTheShaggyDog and ScrewTheRulesIHaveSupernaturalPowers!. Frequently the next step after ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem! doesn't work. Also check out DeadManSwitch for when the nuke in question is used as a bargaining chip, thus changing the rules.
----
'''Examples:'''
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* Subverted in ''Manga/GetBackers''' IL arc: TheHacker Makube X tries to threaten the {{God}} of Infinity Fortress with a literal nuke (not concerned about the fact that Tokyo would be destroyed in the process) but is defeated by the titular heroes. As [[DudeLooksLikeALady Kazuki]] points out, it never would have worked- no matter how powerful you are, {{God}} always holds all the cards.
* Prince Schneizel of ''Anime/CodeGeass'' master plan to bring about world peace with Sky Fortress Damocles essentially comes down to this. So in his case, it would be "Screw the rules, I have a lot of F.L.E.I.J.A.!"
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' does the similar thing with Anime/CodeGeass except Pain wanted the nuke in the form of a powerful jutsu.
* ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'': [[spoiler:This is actually the ultimate goal of Kuze's plan. Once the rebels have nukes, the government can't refuse to grant them independence.]]
** [[spoiler:However the government is willing to just drop a nuke on the revolting and claim it was the rebels messing up building a homemade atomic bomb.]]
* [[AGodAmI Light's]] philosophy seems to be "Screw The System I Have A ''Manga/DeathNote''."
* ''Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie'''s Mewtwo is more "Screw The Rules, I ''Am'' A Nuke, and an infinitely reusable one at that".
* This rules the world in ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'', in every single village on the planet, until Kenshiro visits and kills all the bad dudes.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film]]
* ''[[StarWars Empire Strikes Back]]'', Vader keeps [[MovingTheGoalposts changing the terms]] with Lando, knowing that with the Empire holding all the cards, he doesn't have to keep his word.
--> "I am altering the deal. Pray that I do not alter it further."
** In the original, we get this played painfully straight in the case of Alderaan.
** The third film also shows that thermal detonators (literally handheld fusion exposives) make for great negotiation tools.
* Discussed in ''DrStrangelove''. When asked why the Soviets would build the Doomsday Machine, a device that could wipe out all life on Earth, the doc explains that the aforementioned implications would deter any attack on the Soviets by enemy powers. Unfortunately, the Soviets failed to tell the rest of the world that they just plugged in the Doomsday Machine, leading to TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.
* ''ThePatriot'': Col. Tavington in his introductory scene. When Martin tries to reason with him about his brutal conduct by citing the Rules of War, Tavington responds by aiming a pistol at his head (an unarmed civilian, natch) and asks him if he would like a lesson in the rules of war. [[KickTheDog Then he points it at Martin's children]].
** Tavington's own superior is disgusted with his methods, although he still defends them when prompted by Martin.
* ''{{Scanners}}'': [[spoiler:Breadon Keller]] orders a [=ConSec=] technician to do a blank swipe of the [=ConSec=] computer system in an attempt to hurt Cameron while he's mentally connected to it through the telephone system, but he refuses to do so because that would wipe out all stored computer files, something he couldn't do without the written authorization of the [=ConSec=] leadership. [[spoiler:Breadon Keller's]] response is to shove a gun in the guy's face.
-->'''[[spoiler:Breadon Keller]]''': Mister, ''this'' is your authorization.
* There's a scene in ''Film/{{Serenity}}'' when a guard at the bank the crew is robbing asks for a password. Jayne fires his machine gun.
--> ''"Okay!"''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* A quite literal example in ''Literature/SnowCrash''. Raven's habit of motorcycling around with a stolen Russian warhead rigged to explode when he dies ensures that everyone "tries to make him feel welcome."
* TheCulture of IainMBanks's novels retain this option. Described as "space hippies with super-nukes", they would prefer that you get along with them in a friendly fashion and (notwithstanding the machinations of Special Circumstances) practice the last word in "live and let live". But their ships can lay waste to planets if they have to, and that's not even the warships.
* At the end of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings: The Return of the King'', the four hobbits, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin return to the Shire to find the place in ruins and bands of "sheriffs" enforcing a staggering set of micromanaging rules governing just about everything. However, having taken on [[GodOfEvil the most evil being in the world]] and helping crush his armies, the four hobbits are not about to be cowed by this development - later revealed to be instigated by the evil wizard Saruman - and seemingly take delight in disregarding every rule and law they find. (Having the weapons, armor and battle experience they aquired during the war certainly helps.) Eventually they organize a resistance and overthrow the evil oppressors.
* ''Leviathan'', by [[HobbesWasRight Thomas Hobbes]], is one of the works best known for using this theory to explain RealLife. Interestingly, he doesn't consider it to be an especially bad thing, saying that it compares favourably to anarchy.
** Thrasymachus, one of the characters in Plato's ''Republic'' takes it a step further - he doesn't just say that law is the will of the strongest, he actually defines ''justice'' in those terms.
* This trope is the reason that Abu Sabah's theocracy is able to take over the world in ''Nuclear Holocaust NeverAgain'' -- his country had a nuke, and none of the peaceful democratic countries did, so his government nuked every capital city except their own, causing billions of deaths and leaving the democracies with no choice but to accept Sabah as their overlord.
* Specifically averted in the ''{{Dune}}'' books. Not only will use of atomics bring the wrath of the rest of the universe down on you, but the most (directly) powerful faction turns out to have no military to speak of at all; guaranteed trade and economic growth is far more important than a few million lives here or there.
** Further, most of the players recognize that politics and power are actually a complicated web of balances and counterbalances, and blatant use of raw power rarely produces the results you intended. The Bene Gesserit especially understand this, and Leto II took it further. In the ''Dune'' world, a direct-approach power player is almost surely being manipulated by someone else toward some end he doesn't even imagine. The Beast Rabban, for ex.
** Less so in the prequels (written by Herbert's son and Creator/KevinJAnderson), as shown by the rabid House Moritani that has no qualms about attacking anyone who so much as looks as them sideways, completely ignoring Landsraad rules (including Kanli). How does TheEmperor respond (especially since their actions were openly seriously the Imperium)? By shaking his finger at them. It's no wonder that they get bolder and bolder. By the end, the ruler of the House is openly threatening the Emperor with a nuke. Luckily, his [[TheDragon Dragon]] turned out not to approve of his boss's methods.
** After becoming Emperor, Paul wages a religious war of conquest that results in dozens of planets being sterilized for refusing to bow down to him as Emperor. Paul didn't ''want'' to do this, but his core following, made up exclusively of religious fanatics, wouldn't have had it any other way.
* In Robert Howard's Kull stories, Kull at one point announces that he will rule by virtue of his battle axe, unless some noble wishes to challenge him to combat. There was a touch of wish fulfillment in that story.
* ''ASongOfIceAndFire''. Stannis Baratheon insists that he should be king because he's the eldest brother. Younger brother Renly points out that he has the largest army. Meanwhile the Queen Regent Cersai Lannister is furious that her father is refusing to withdraw his forces from Harrenhal (where they're stategically placed to threaten any force that moves against the Lannisters) to directly defend the capital from the Baratheons. Her brother Tyrion points out that their father can afford to ignore her royal commands, as he has a very large army.
* This is largely the basis around which the Aes Sedai from ''WheelOfTime'' organize their hierarchy: with a few notable exceptions, more powerful channelers always outrank less powerful ones, wisdom and experience be damned.
* In ''Literature/IClaudius'', Caligula summons soldiers to hear him give a speech - including soldiers who had disobeyed him, ready to have them executed, telling that particular group to not worry about weapons or armour. His uncle, Claudius, manages to drop a hint to one captain. Caligula quickly changes his tune when those guards let it be seen that they are carrying their swords underneath their tunics.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In late season 5 of ''{{LOST}}'', the cast's mindset becomes "Screw the rules of ''time'', I have a nuke!" and then proceed to detonate the nuke to disrupt said rules of time.
* Played quite literally near the end of ''Series/{{Farscape}}'''s final story-arc: John Crichton casually strolls into a high-level diplomatic meeting between the [[LizardFolk Scarran]] Emperor and [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Peacekeeper]] Commandant Grayza (as well as their lackeys among the Charrids and Kalish) on the Scarran capital moon, [[spoiler:Katratzi]]. At first not killing him simply because they're stunned he arrived, the Scarran Emperor asks why they should let him live another minute. Crichton then pulls open his coat to reveal that he is carrying a home-made nuclear bomb, which forces the Emperor to call off his guards. Crichton then starts merrily strolling around the room while detailing the various deadman switches that the bomb operates on...then starts walking around on tables as he explains that the reason he has come is that he can't keep running forever, so he's settled for a new plan in which he will sell wormhole technology to the highest bidder among the assembled galactic political superpowers: in exchange for the bidder's protection he'll basically sell them galactic dominance. [[spoiler:Crichton was of course, lying. His real plan was to gain access to the Katratzi to rescue a prisoner, and then, to plant the nuclear bomb in a vital area of the base and "blow up the Death Star".]]
* An episode of TheOuterLimits featured a disgruntled student who invents a cold fusion bomb and threatens to destroy a major city unless his demands are met including have certain people he dislikes executed in view of him. [[spoiler:They do execute one person]].
** In another episode, a time traveler uses a similar bomb to theaten the US Government of TwentyMinutesInTheFuture, where the world has banned complex technology, to keep the ban, while another time traveler argues that it should be lifted. After he allows himself to be sent to the past without his TimeMachine, [[spoiler:his device activates and explodes, destroying Washington, D.C]].
* Screw the rules, and the nukes. I have sun-busters. In ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'', starship captains have access to Nova Bombs that are capable of destroying entire solar systems. Heavily averted in the fact that High Guard captains are [[spoiler:''were'']] too noble to ever use them in combat.
-->'''Example:''' In the first episode, ''Andromeda'' is facing [[MemeticMutation over 9000]] enemy warships.
-->'''Rhade:''' Captain, I recommend we deploy Nova Bombs.
-->'''Dylan:''' ''This system is inhabited!'' We will not use strategic weapons no matter how many ships we're up against.
-->'''Rhade:''' As you wish...
** Strange that Rhade would suggest to use them, given that [[spoiler:this would effectively end the rebellion, of which he is a part]]. Unless he knew Hunt would never go for it.
*** Actually, if Hunt did go for it, then it would mean that all is not lost for the Commonwealth, as far as the [[NietzscheWannabe Nietzscheans]] are concerned.
*** That point was expanded on through the first and early second season, as Hunt realizes via flashbacks that [[spoiler: Rhade was actually trying to hint to Hunt how Nietzscheans thought, which would lead Hunt to realize that they were a threat to the Commonwealth. And if he couldn't figure it out, he didn't deserve to survive.]]
* As Jayne Cobb of ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' would say: "You know what the chain of command is around here? It's the chain I go get and beat you with until you know who's in ruttin command!" Actually an example of a DefiedTrope. Simon knew he'd try and do this so pulled a "Screw the Rules, I have tranqs!" gambit by injecting Jayne with an anaesthetic while patching him up from an injury. Jayne's bid for power occurred just as the anaesthetic started to kick in, resulting in him falling asleep before he could complete his take-over. The crew was extremely relieved by Simon's foresight.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Music]]
* Denis Leary's song, "I'm an Asshole" features a spoken rant that's all about this:
-->You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna get myself a 1967 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, hot pink, with whale skin hubcaps and all leather cow interior and big brown baby seal eyes for headlights. Yeah! And I'm gonna drive around in that baby at 115 miles an hour, getting 1 mile per gallon, sucking down quarter-pounder cheeseburgers from [=McDonald=]'s in the old-fashioned non- biodegradable Styrofoam containers! And when I'm done suckin' down those grease ball burgers I'm gonna wipe my mouth on the American flag and then toss the Styrofoam containers right out the side, and there ain't a God-damned thing anybody can do about it. You know why? Because we got the bombs, that's why! Two words--nuclear fucking weapons, OK? Russia, Germany, Romania - they can have all the democracy they want. They can have a bid democracy cakewalk right through the middle of Tienanmen Square and it won't make a lick of difference, because we’ve got the bombs, OK?
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* This [[BlatantLies never happens]] in ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}''. Friend-Computer has ensured that [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial no Troubleshooter has ever been incorrectly issued with tactical-nuclear armaments]]. Further discussion of this topic is both frivolous and treasonous.
** Thank you, Friend Computer, for this [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill entirely appropriate and correct act of issuing me a tac-nuke to go deal with one and exactly one]] [[NinjaPirateRobotZombie Commie Mutant Traitor]] while forbidden to cause collateral damage.
*** On a completely unrelated note, what are mint-condition personal tactical nuclear weapons currently selling for on C-Bay?
** There are even nuclear ''hand grenades'', which work just fine... unless you have to actually carry out the threat. Have ''you'' ever tried [[OutrunTheFireball outrunning a megaton nuclear blast]]?
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', one of the dangers of authorizing an inquisitor's use of Exterminatus. The command is used when a world is found irreversibly corrupt, damaged or infested, and is only used as a last measure, however there might be the occasional hiccup, and an entire world lost.
** Although Inquisitors are just as susceptible to being on the receiving end: they ''don't'' have a nuke, merely the authority to procure one. To perform Exterminatus, they need either the Space Marines, who are autonomous (and deadly) enough to tell them to get stuffed with a minimum of hassle or the Imperial Navy, who are commanded and equipped by organizations powerful enough that any individual Inquisitor isn't going to take them on. Only the most respected Lord Inquisitors have private warships capable of performing Exterminatus, and, lets face it, they won't make bad calls like that [[YouHaveFailedMe given the penalty for failure in the Imperium.]]
* Players themselves can let their characters' power go to their heads and decide that the laws of the land don't apply to them since they can kill any number of guards, paladins, or anything else short of (or in some cases, far exceeding) gods sent to stop them.
** And, of course, the DM can always say RocksFallEveryoneDies.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Videogames]]
* In general, many grand strategy games make it so that your people are much less likely to rebel and "happier" if you have a larger army in the area/city.
* In ''{{Overlord}}'' you could be a nice evil dictator and let the peasants worship you in peace or you could randomly kill them and ransack their homes because you know they can't offer any real resistance.
* Late-game meetings with the Dark assembly in the ''{{Disgaea}}'' games can seem a bit this way, especially in new game + . if your proposal gets denied, your insanely overpowered team can beat the senators into submission without breaking a sweat.
** And if you have beaten [[ThatOneBoss B]][[BonusBoss a]][[OverNineThousand a]][[PowerLevels l]], they recognize that you ''have a nuke'' and don't even dare to object proposals made by a main character.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Spore}}'', once you reach the Space Age you can [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential cause a planet-wide extinction]] with nothing bad happening to you. You can even use this as a strategy when trying to take planets.
** Well, nothing bad - unless you count the various surrounding space empires declaring war on you for breaking the Galactic Code, bombing your planets before your planetary annihilator has a chance to recharge and refusing to sell you any more instant-use superweapons. Wiping out whole empires one planet at a time using ''legal'' superweapons, on the other hand, is a perfectly viable strategy.
* Done ''literally'' in ''MetalGearSolid3'''s secret theater "The Ultimate Weapon." Naked Snake "cheats" playing rock-paper-scissors with The Boss. So she trumps him by nuking him.
** From point blank range. More "Screw the rules, I'm [[strike: insane]] BadAss."
* AI leaders like to invoke this trope in ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}''. "Our words are backed with NUCLEAR WEAPONS!"
* Carried over into ''GalacticCivilizations'', except instead of nukes (which are kind of weak compared to orbital railgun strikes and doom rays) you have "Terror Stars" (star destroyers in the most literal sense) or fleets of dreadnoughts with [[RuleOfCool black hole guns]].
* In SidMeiersPirates, you aren't allowed to enter a port if you have bad relations with either the port or its controlling power. You ''could'' sneak in, but it's usually easier to open the port at gunpoint.
* If you have it set and can manage to get a twenty-five kill streak in ''ModernWarfare2'' multiplayer, you can call in a tactical nuke and win the match, no matter how badly your team is doing.
* In an EasterEgg in ''VideoGame/BioShock2'', you come across three splicers talking about what happened to the protagonist of the first game and two of them suggest that he took either the good ending or the bad ending. The one who states that Jack took the bad ending that "heck, and if anyone messes with him, he's got a nuke".
* Present twice times in the backstory of the ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}}'' series. The first time is when in the ancient times the Galactic Council had been called to settle a territorial dispute between Hiigara and the Taiidan Empire and favored the latter: when the Hiigaran found the Second Great Hyperspace Core (that allowed the ship with it to just go everywhere in the galaxy bringing a fleet with it) they just laid waste to the Taiidan homeworld, with the implied threat that they could do it to anyone. This backfired horribly, as the Galactic Council set on them the Bentusi, who had the First Great Hyperspace Core and enough firepower to destroy their fleet. Then, with the Hiigaran utterly defeated and the Bentusi traumatized by the battle into disarming themselves, the Taiidan Empire was left as the single strongest military power of the galaxy: the Council ordered to leave the now harmless Hiigarans alone, but the Taiidan continued burning Hiigaran worlds until the surviving Hiigarans accepted to cede their homeworld and leave in exile on a desert planet.
* One of the method of control in the ''VideoGame/{{Tropico}}'' series. Provided you have a large enough army you can remain in control of your BananaRepublic pretty much indefinitely. You can also literally invoke this in #4; building a nuclear program will prevent the USA and USSR from invading your island.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' has many examples. Notably, Tagon's mercenaries have been legally commissioned to hunt and kill attorney-drones. People tend to get very upset when you gun down their lawyers, but as Captain Tagon says to one such upset client: "Get as mad as you want. You'll have a hard time suing me."
** Another notable example; during the {{CSI}} AffectionateParody, the Warrick {{Expy}} says that while they have enough evidence to hold Schlock, they have to let Tagon go. The Grissom Expy comments that Tagon can go back to his mercenary company and return in force to break his sergeant out, which is why the judge is "visiting friends" in a bunker on the other side of the planet.
* ''Webcomic/{{Adventurers}}'': "That doesn't make much sense." "I have the most powerful handgun ever made. It doesn't have to."
* BobTheAngryFlower believes that if ''everybody'' had a nuke, than nobody would ever argue with each other. [[ApocalypseHow It doesn't work.]]
* HowIKilledYourMaster : [[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2010/06/21/how-i-killed-your-master-055/ #055]]
-->'''Fang Lin:''' ''"So this '''nobody''' of a farmer, '''Meng Qi''', he pops up and says he's Yan Yu's '''nephew'''. He accuses General Wen of usurping the governor's court, says he has no authority beyond the tip of a '''spear'''."''
-->'''Liu Wong:''' ''"What'd Wen Yuan say to '''that'''?"''
-->'''Fang Lin:''' ''"'Good thing I have '''five thousand''' of them'."''
-->'''Liu Wong:''' ''"Ha!"'' *{{beat}}* ''"Well, it '''is''' a good point."''
* In ''{{Sinfest}}'', [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2197 Satan says he had a permit to hunt angels -- his gun, pointed at the person asking.]]
* {{Nedroid}} : [[http://nedroid.com/2008/07/1812-askbeartato-ransom/ When Reginald is taken hostage:]]
-->'''Beartato:''' Give me three thousand dollars!
-->'''Bank Teller:''' Do you have an account with us?
-->'''Beartato:''' I have a '''missile!'''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'''s 3rd season episode "War is the H word", Bender has THE BOMB implanted inside his body and it will ''detonate the instant the robot unwittingly speaks a certain word'', wiping out an entire planet. It's the one word he uses more than any other: [[spoiler:ASS]]. After finding that out he starts a game of ''Make Bender happy or he blows up the planet!''
** This trope also happens in "Bender's Game" (Screw the Rules, I Have A Big Stick) when Leegola tries to convince the [[PlanetOfHats peaceful centaurs]] to join in the fight against the EvilOverlord and agrees to their contest for leadership... Tedious Debate! Later Leegola shows up leading the army:
--> '''Leegola''': Prepare to fire again, brave cowards!
--> '''Hermaphrodite''': I still say, I won the debate. ''*Leegola strikes him in the stomach with a piece of wood.*''
* Rare Western example: Finnish political satire ''Itsevaltiaat'', the Finnish government finds an abandoned handheld nuclear bomb. In the next EU meeting, the Finnish president tries to speak, but is constantly interrupted and ignored. The Finnish PM proceeds to pull the nuke out of his case and demand attention. Later his government comrades call him out.
--> '''Man:''' You can't just pull that nuke whenever you want to talk.
--> '''PM:''' Yes, yes I can. We have a nuke now, and it gives us access to tables where decisions are DONE.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Real Life]]
* This was AncientRome's MO. "Give us your country. No? Good luck with that!"
* Unfortunately, this (sometimes) seems to be a part of United States foreign policy. It usually happens to any nation that is the world's superpower at that moment. Exemplified in the USA's case by TheodoreRoosevelt's (in)famous quote, "If you speak softly and carry a big stick, you will go far."
** [[OlderThanTheyThink Roosevelt himself was quoting a West African proverb.]]
** Er...isn't that the definition of "superpower of the moment"?
*** Open to question since only the USA and the USSR, in the modern age, have been disproportionately powerful to be considered superpowers and much of the Cold War consisted of both sides screwing the rules. Now that the USSR has collapsed, we're just left with the USA screwing the rules and no real historical comparison to justify it.
** Other historical examples include the British Empire, most notably during the Opium Wars where the choices presented to China were to trade on Britain's terms or face war; and a rare one-man example in Julius Caesar, who proceeded to conquer Gaul despite the Roman Senate's protests that doing so was both unnecessary and illegal.
** The Chinese themselves pulled this trope many times in their long history, right up until the Opium Wars, when they effectively held British traders and capital hostage in exchange for the cessation of the Opium trade. This turned out to be a bad move - this tactic only works if you have the ''biggest'' nuke.
* [[NorthKoreansWithNodongs North Korea]]. Somewhat subverted in that everyone else just thinks they're nuts, and everyone around them has more/better nukes.
** To say nothing of the fact that they have, to paraphrase Tony Stark, "performance issues" with their hardware. Hard to nuke anyone if you can't get your rockets and warheads to work.
** Of course, these performance issues are less funny if you live in Japan or South Korea, given that they can still hit an area the size of a country at that range...with a catapult.
** That is if they can properly aim your nuke and it won't explode in mid flight.
* One faction of early Muslim leaders claimed to be descended from one of Muhammed's daughters. When asked to provide evidence of this by a group of scholars the leader apparently drew his sword, placed it on the man's neck and said "this is my evidence". The Scholars decided not to press the issue.
* The security council of the UN has the 5 traditional nuclear powers with veto powers that can prevent any action. Thus, by having a nuke, you too can help set world policy.
** [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections If you were on the winning side of]] [[WhatHaveYouDoneForMeLately World War II.]]
*** It made sense when the UN was set up, in the 1940s, when Britain and France controlled all of Africa and much of Asia. Nowadays? Not so much. (Though the British and French armies are still the only ones in the EU with any real ability to project power.)
**** More precisely, UK and France still have the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures third and fourth]] biggest military budgets, and so, they are still able [[SuperweaponSurprise to lay waste to most countries in the world]] should their public opinion get pissed enough.
**** And ''this'' time, they have German factories on their side. Important to note: they probably wouldn't have the ''Bundeswehr'' unless Germany had actually been attacked; WorldWarII gave the Germans a collective allergy to war. (This, incidentally, is one of the two primary arguments against Germany's receiving a permanent seat on the Council--Council members must be able ''and willing'' to project power to enforce Council decisions. The other reason is that Europe is overrepresented.)
**** It's not an issue of military budgets but of capability to project power worldwide which is actually extremely rare and something only a very few countries have, including the United States, France and Britain. China, which has a military budget which dwarfs that of the two European powers, does not have this capability as it lacks a blue water navy (ie a navy capable of transporting its military around the world and defending them).
* "You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with just a kind word." - AlCapone
** By the way--this sounds incredibly awesome when spoken by LeonardNimoy for ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}} IV''.
* This is what every BananaRepublic and 3rd-world extremist group wants to do, all day long.
* Louis XIV of France referenced this when commissioning artillery for his armies: every cannon was cast with the motto ''VLTIMA RATIO REGVM'' on the barrel. The meaning? "The last argument of Kings"
* This is how gangs gain local power. You do what they say, or they beat the crap out of you.
** As do bullies at school.
* There is a story about a group of [[TheKnightsTemplar Templars]] who were put on trial in a small village a short time after the Templars were declared heretics. This group, being GenreSavvy, and being the dominant military power in the area, arrived to their trial mounted on horseback, fully armed and armored. They were all acquitted and set free.
* Julius Caesar is a perfect example of this. It had long been the case in the late Roman Republic that some individuals were stronger than the enfeebled State and were capable of overwhelming it but Caesar was the first to actually act on it with his famous crossing of the Rubicon ("the die is cast"). He wasn't afraid of the Roman state confronting him but of another powerful individual - Pompey - doing so in the name of the Roman state. Once Pompey was defeated the sham of the republic's supposed rule of law was revealed and the Senate had no choice but to make Caesar dictator and thus make in law what already existed in fact. Once Caesar had shown that power, and not the laws of the state, were what determined who controlled Rome he set the stage for the state of Roman politics for centuries to come.
[[/folder]]
----
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 81 (click to see context) from:
* As Jayne Cobb of ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' would say: "You know what the chain of command is around here? It's the chain I go get and beat you with until you know who's in ruttin command!" Ironically subverted. His attempt to invoke this trope resulted in Simon invoking "Screw the Rules, I have a tranq!", taking Jayne out of action entirely.
to:
* As Jayne Cobb of ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' would say: "You know what the chain of command is around here? It's the chain I go get and beat you with until you know who's in ruttin command!" Ironically subverted. His attempt to invoke this trope resulted in Actually an example of a DefiedTrope. Simon invoking knew he'd try and do this so pulled a "Screw the Rules, I have a tranq!", taking tranqs!" gambit by injecting Jayne out of action entirely.with an anaesthetic while patching him up from an injury. Jayne's bid for power occurred just as the anaesthetic started to kick in, resulting in him falling asleep before he could complete his take-over. The crew was extremely relieved by Simon's foresight.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 81 (click to see context) from:
* As Jayne Cobb of ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' would say: "You know what the chain of command is around here? It's the chain I go get and beat you with until you know who's in ruttin command!"
to:
* As Jayne Cobb of ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' would say: "You know what the chain of command is around here? It's the chain I go get and beat you with until you know who's in ruttin command!"command!" Ironically subverted. His attempt to invoke this trope resulted in Simon invoking "Screw the Rules, I have a tranq!", taking Jayne out of action entirely.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
**** It's not an issue of military budgets but of capability to project power worldwide which is actually extremely rare and something only a very few countries have, including the United States, France and Britain. China, which has a military budget which dwarfs that of the two European powers, does not have this capability as it lacks a blue water navy (ie a navy capable of transporting its military around the world and defending them).
Added DiffLines:
* Julius Caesar is a perfect example of this. It had long been the case in the late Roman Republic that some individuals were stronger than the enfeebled State and were capable of overwhelming it but Caesar was the first to actually act on it with his famous crossing of the Rubicon ("the die is cast"). He wasn't afraid of the Roman state confronting him but of another powerful individual - Pompey - doing so in the name of the Roman state. Once Pompey was defeated the sham of the republic's supposed rule of law was revealed and the Senate had no choice but to make Caesar dictator and thus make in law what already existed in fact. Once Caesar had shown that power, and not the laws of the state, were what determined who controlled Rome he set the stage for the state of Roman politics for centuries to come.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 2,3 (click to see context) from:
[[caption-width-right:237:Giving the nuke ''and'' the bird all at once.
to:
[[caption-width-right:237:Giving the nuke ''and'' the bird all at once.
once.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 2 (click to see context) from:
to:
[[caption-width-right:237:Giving the nuke ''and'' the bird all at once.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* As Jayne Cobb of ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' would say: "You know what the chain of command is around here? It's the chain I go get and beat you with until you know who's in ruttin command!"
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
*** That point was expanded on through the first and early second season, as Hunt realizes via flashbacks that [[spoiler: Rhade was actually trying to hint to Hunt how Nietzscheans thought, which would lead Hunt to realize that they were a threat to the Commonwealth. And if he couldn't figure it out, he didn't deserve to survive.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 13,14 (click to see context) from:
More formally, this is known as the "Argumentum ad Baculum" [[note]]Literally "appeal to the stick", because the face ain't listening. Veterinarians and [[FurryFandom Furries]] can stop [[HehHehYouSaidX laughing at the word Baculum now]]. [[DontExplainTheJoke And No, I'm not explaining the joke to everyone else]], [[SchmuckBait look it up if you really need to know]][[/note]] or the Appeal to Force , whose logic goes essentially thus: "I'm right, and if you disagree, I beat [[hottip:*:or blow]] you up." While invalid in abstract logic, this tactic is rather persuasive in RealLife.
to:
More formally, this is known as the "Argumentum ad Baculum" [[note]]Literally "appeal to the stick", because the face ain't listening. Veterinarians and [[FurryFandom Furries]] can stop [[HehHehYouSaidX laughing at the word Baculum now]]. [[DontExplainTheJoke And No, I'm not explaining the joke to everyone else]], [[SchmuckBait look it up if you really need to know]][[/note]] or the Appeal to Force , AppealToForce, whose logic goes essentially thus: "I'm right, and if you disagree, I beat [[hottip:*:or blow]] you up." While invalid in abstract logic, this tactic is rather persuasive in RealLife.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 110 (click to see context) from:
* In an EasterEgg in ''BioShock2'', you come across three splicers talking about what happened to the protagonist of the first game and two of them suggest that he took either the good ending or the bad ending. The one who states that Jack took the bad ending that "heck, and if anyone messes with him, he's got a nuke".
to:
* In an EasterEgg in ''BioShock2'', ''VideoGame/BioShock2'', you come across three splicers talking about what happened to the protagonist of the first game and two of them suggest that he took either the good ending or the bad ending. The one who states that Jack took the bad ending that "heck, and if anyone messes with him, he's got a nuke".
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** That is if they can properly aim your nuke and it won't explode in mid flight.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 64 (click to see context) from:
* In ''IClaudius'', Caligula summons soldiers to hear him give a speech - including soldiers who had disobeyed him, ready to have them executed, telling that particular group to not worry about weapons or armour. His uncle, Claudius, manages to drop a hint to one captain. Caligula quickly changes his tune when those guards let it be seen that they are carrying their swords underneath their tunics.
to:
* In ''IClaudius'', ''Literature/IClaudius'', Caligula summons soldiers to hear him give a speech - including soldiers who had disobeyed him, ready to have them executed, telling that particular group to not worry about weapons or armour. His uncle, Claudius, manages to drop a hint to one captain. Caligula quickly changes his tune when those guards let it be seen that they are carrying their swords underneath their tunics.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 40 (click to see context) from:
** The third film also shows that thermal detonators make for great negotiation tools.
to:
** The third film also shows that thermal detonators (literally handheld fusion exposives) make for great negotiation tools.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 153 (click to see context) from:
** Of course, these performance issues are less funny if you live in Japan or South Korea, given that they can still hit an area the size of a country at that range.
to:
** Of course, these performance issues are less funny if you live in Japan or South Korea, given that they can still hit an area the size of a country at that range.range...with a catapult.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added example for I Claudius
Added DiffLines:
* In ''IClaudius'', Caligula summons soldiers to hear him give a speech - including soldiers who had disobeyed him, ready to have them executed, telling that particular group to not worry about weapons or armour. His uncle, Claudius, manages to drop a hint to one captain. Caligula quickly changes his tune when those guards let it be seen that they are carrying their swords underneath their tunics.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 152,153 (click to see context) from:
** Of course, these performance issues are less funny if you live in Japan or South Korea, given that
to:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Off topic
Changed line(s) 152 (click to see context) from:
** And yet there's a remake of ''Film/RedDawn2012'' coming up with North Korea somehow managing to invade the US. How? By using an EMP device to knock out everything (despite the fact that EMP shielding is mandatory on certain strategic weapons).
to:
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
**And, of course, the DM can always say RocksFallEveryoneDies.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
->''Inter arma silent leges''
-->--'''A Roman proverb''' : laws mute when weapons talk
-->--'''A Roman proverb''' : laws mute when weapons talk
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* This is largely the basis around which the Aes Sedai from ''WheelOfTime'' organize their hierarchy: with a few notable exceptions, more powerful channelers always outrank less powerful ones, wisdom and experience be damned.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** The Chinese themselves pulled this trope many times in their long history, right up until the Opium Wars, when they effectively held British traders and capital hostage in exchange for the cessation of the Opium trade. This turned out to be a bad move - this tactic only works if you have the ''biggest'' nuke.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Having just read into it, that was a huge over-simplification.
Changed line(s) 143 (click to see context) from:
** Other historical examples include the British Empire, most notably during the Opium Wars where the choices presented to China were to trade on Britain's terms (i.e. give up lucrative goods in exchange for getting hooked on opium) or be annihilated; and a rare one-man example in Julius Caesar, who proceeded to conquer Gaul despite the Roman Senate's protests that doing so was both unnecessary and illegal.
to:
** Other historical examples include the British Empire, most notably during the Opium Wars where the choices presented to China were to trade on Britain's terms (i.e. give up lucrative goods in exchange for getting hooked on opium) or be annihilated; face war; and a rare one-man example in Julius Caesar, who proceeded to conquer Gaul despite the Roman Senate's protests that doing so was both unnecessary and illegal.
Added DiffLines:
** Of course, these performance issues are less funny if you live in Japan or South Korea, given that
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
No real life examples of moral event horizon please.
Changed line(s) 143 (click to see context) from:
** Other historical examples include the British Empire, most notably during the Opium Wars where the choices presented to China were to trade on Britain's terms (i.e. [[MoralEventHorizon give up lucrative goods in exchange for getting hooked on opium]]) or be annihilated; and a rare one-man example in Julius Caesar, who proceeded to conquer Gaul despite the Roman Senate's protests that doing so was both unnecessary and illegal.
to:
** Other historical examples include the British Empire, most notably during the Opium Wars where the choices presented to China were to trade on Britain's terms (i.e. [[MoralEventHorizon give up lucrative goods in exchange for getting hooked on opium]]) opium) or be annihilated; and a rare one-man example in Julius Caesar, who proceeded to conquer Gaul despite the Roman Senate's protests that doing so was both unnecessary and illegal.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 59 (click to see context) from:
* ''ASongOfIceAndFire''. Stannis Baratheon insists that he should be king because he's the eldest brother. Younger brother Renly points out that he has the largest army. Meanwhile the Queen Regent Cersai Lannister is furious that her father is refusing to withdraw his forces from Harrenhal (where they're stategically placed to threaten any force that moves against the Lannisters) to defend the capital from the Baratheons. Her brother Tyrion points out that their father can afford to ignore her royal commands, as he has a very large army.
to:
* ''ASongOfIceAndFire''. Stannis Baratheon insists that he should be king because he's the eldest brother. Younger brother Renly points out that he has the largest army. Meanwhile the Queen Regent Cersai Lannister is furious that her father is refusing to withdraw his forces from Harrenhal (where they're stategically placed to threaten any force that moves against the Lannisters) to directly defend the capital from the Baratheons. Her brother Tyrion points out that their father can afford to ignore her royal commands, as he has a very large army.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ''ASongOfIceAndFire''. Stannis Baratheon insists that he should be king because he's the eldest brother. Younger brother Renly points out that he has the largest army. Meanwhile the Queen Regent Cersai Lannister is furious that her father is refusing to withdraw his forces from Harrenhal (where they're stategically placed to threaten any force that moves against the Lannisters) to defend the capital from the Baratheons. Her brother Tyrion points out that their father can afford to ignore her royal commands, as he has a very large army.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 56 (click to see context) from:
** Less so in the prequels (written by Herbert's son and KevinJAnderson), as shown by the rabid House Moritani that has no qualms about attacking anyone who so much as looks as them sideways, completely ignoring Landsraad rules (including Kanli). How does TheEmperor respond (especially since their actions were openly seriously the Imperium)? By shaking his finger at them. It's no wonder that they get bolder and bolder. By the end, the ruler of the House is openly threatening the Emperor with a nuke. Luckily, his [[TheDragon Dragon]] turned out not to approve of his boss's methods.
to:
** Less so in the prequels (written by Herbert's son and KevinJAnderson), Creator/KevinJAnderson), as shown by the rabid House Moritani that has no qualms about attacking anyone who so much as looks as them sideways, completely ignoring Landsraad rules (including Kanli). How does TheEmperor respond (especially since their actions were openly seriously the Imperium)? By shaking his finger at them. It's no wonder that they get bolder and bolder. By the end, the ruler of the House is openly threatening the Emperor with a nuke. Luckily, his [[TheDragon Dragon]] turned out not to approve of his boss's methods.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 86 (click to see context) from:
** Although Inquisitors are just as susceptible to being on the receiving end: they ''don't'' have a nuke, merely the authority to procure one. To perform Exterminatus, they need the Space Marines, who are autonomous (and deadly) enough to tell them to get stuffed with a minimum of hassle. Only the most repected Lord Inquisitors have private warships capable of performing Exterminatus, and, lets face it, they won't make bad calls like that [[YouHaveFailedMe given the penalty for failure in the Imperium.]]
to:
** Although Inquisitors are just as susceptible to being on the receiving end: they ''don't'' have a nuke, merely the authority to procure one. To perform Exterminatus, they need either the Space Marines, who are autonomous (and deadly) enough to tell them to get stuffed with a minimum of hassle. hassle or the Imperial Navy, who are commanded and equipped by organizations powerful enough that any individual Inquisitor isn't going to take them on. Only the most repected respected Lord Inquisitors have private warships capable of performing Exterminatus, and, lets face it, they won't make bad calls like that [[YouHaveFailedMe given the penalty for failure in the Imperium.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** Although Inquisitors are just as susceptible to being on the receiving end: they ''don't'' have a nuke, merely the authority to procure one. To perform Exterminatus, they need the Space Marines, who are autonomous (and deadly) enough to tell them to get stuffed with a minimum of hassle. Only the most repected Lord Inquisitors have private warships capable of performing Exterminatus, and, lets face it, they won't make bad calls like that [[YouHaveFailedMe given the penalty for failure in the Imperium.]]
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 144 (click to see context) from:
** And yet there's a remake of ''RedDawn'' coming up with North Korea somehow managing to invade the US. How? By using an EMP device to knock out everything (despite the fact that EMP shielding is mandatory on certain strategic weapons).
to:
** And yet there's a remake of ''RedDawn'' ''Film/RedDawn2012'' coming up with North Korea somehow managing to invade the US. How? By using an EMP device to knock out everything (despite the fact that EMP shielding is mandatory on certain strategic weapons).
