The book, or the 2000 live action TV Movie starring George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Harvey Keitel etc. Has anyone seen it? If so, I'd like to ask: what would you have done if you had been in the US President's position? Did he make the right choice? did he have any other options?
Fail-Safe is a 1964 film directed by Sidney Lumet, based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. It tells the story of a fictional Cold War nuclear crisis, and the US President's attempt to end it.
I don't remember why the bomber was launched. I was busy being rivited by the attempts to stop it and the stunning, if expected ending. Was it launched for oil? If so, good decision.
I didnt know there was one made in the 1960s, there was a brilliant live action CBS remake in 2000... it was doing a standard flight near the Soviet border when mechanical failure told it to attack Moskva.
Hey, I just know its about a post-nuclear war America.
RRW, you may find this interesting, its about the man who really did save the world from nuclear warfare. He actually made a decision not to launch. Kinda stinks how he was treated afterwards.
Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov (Russian: Станислав Евграфович Петров (born c. 1939) is a retired Russian Strategic Rocket Forces lieutenant colonel who, on September 26, 1983, deviated from standard Soviet doctrine by positively identifying a missile attack warning as a false alarm.[1] This decision, according to several sources, was a major factor in preventing an accidental retaliatory nuclear attack on the United States. Investigation of the satellite warning system later confirmed that the system had been malfunctioning.
Though there continue to be varying reports as to whether Petrov actually reported the alert to his superiors, or what part his decision ultimately played in preventing nuclear war, his willingness to risk punishment in order to possibly prevent a catastrophe exposed a critical flaw in the Soviet missile warning system and deeply embarrassed the upper echelons of the Soviet Army. In retaliation, he was branded as an "unreliable" officer, transferred to non-command duty, and eventually forced to retire. Because of Soviet military secrecy and international political concerns, Petrov's actions were kept secret until 1998 when a Russian officer present at the bunker wrote a book detailing the incident.
I first read this book in the late 80's, and found it fascinating then. It's still on my list of thought-provoking books. What should the US have done? What would the world be like in 2 years after the events of the book?
To the question, the President's decision to work with the USSR to shoot down the bombers was absolutely correct. But that's not the question you're talking about ...
I think he blew it. Consumed with guilt and remorse, the President took the easy way out and offered a sacrifice to the leadership of the USSR. Any moral high ground the US might have had was lost in the initial arrack, but nothing was gained by the subsequent decision. Retaliation, by the US, on New York? Far, far from a rational decision! This was a bad decision made by a guilty man.
So ravensfire, what was the alternative? All out nuclear war in which millions, if not billions would have died? you think that would have been a better outcome? what would you have done?
JH: yeah I know all about Petrov, in all probability the most unsing hero of all time. but I still think they were right to fire him.
Great movie, and a good decision by the president, I'm not sure it's a realistic decision/outcome of the situation... most people in the movie seemed more reasonable than the people in similar position probably would be in real life.
So ravensfire, what was the alternative? All out nuclear war in which millions, if not billions would have died? you think that would have been a better outcome? what would you have done?
Would that have happened? That's the question, isn't it? I don't think it would have. Instead, the President caved from guilt and a desperate attempt at some "redemption".
What would I have done? That's a tough call - I honestly don't know. I think I would have held steady, and not nuked my own city. I'd drastically reduce nuclear weapons, and institute a complete "No first use" policy. I'd offer the USSR any and all aid and assistance, and certainly reperations. Mistakes were made by both sides that pushed the situation to its climax, but the initial mistake and the mistake of policy were from the US.
What are your views on this, RedRalphWiggum?
* Did the President make the right call?
* What would you have done if you were in the President's place?
* What do you think the political landscape would have been 6 months after the events in the book?
So ravensfire, what was the alternative? All out nuclear war in which millions, if not billions would have died? you think that would have been a better outcome? what would you have done?
JH: yeah I know all about Petrov, in all probability the most unsing hero of all time. but I still think they were right to fire him.
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(born c. 1939) is a retired Russian Strategic Rocket Forces lieutenant colonel who, on September 26, 1983, deviated from standard Soviet doctrine by positively identifying a missile attack warning as a false alarm.[1] This decision, according to several sources, was a major factor in preventing an accidental retaliatory nuclear attack on the United States. Investigation of the satellite warning system later confirmed that the system had been malfunctioning.
