Fail Safe

[Emperor2]

I saw the original movie, and I loved it. Remember that guy who kept ranting about "a great opportunity" and wanted to let the planes go and bomb russia?

I sympathize

 

[LightFang]

I've read it on Wikipedia. It looks really interesting.

 

[RedRalph]

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.

you would have done none of those things, because without the President taking the action he did america would have been partially destroyed within a few hours and there would be no USSR (and at that stage in time probably no Japan or China either). you would have taken no further action because to all intents and purposes the US would have ceased to exist. there is no way the Soviet Premier in such a situation would have been allowed to NTO retaliate. If he had tried not to, he would have been removed from office within hours and retaliation would have been initated.

* Did the President make the right call?

He made the right call to the most diffcult situation a huiman could find themselves in. By sacrificing NYC, he saved not only the rest of the US, but a large % of the world.

* What would you have done if you were in the President's place?

Probably passed out with the stress to be honest.

* What do you think the political landscape would have been 6 months after the events in the book?

Genuine efforts to destroy nuclear weapons. Possibly revolutions in both countries. Maybe civil war. all situations while horrible, better than nuclear annihilation.

 

[RedRalph]

Its a great movie and as I said easy to download (it may even be on youtube). See it

 

[Leifmk]

Haven't seen the new Failsafe but the original was very good.

The remake is pretty interesting; it's not so much a TV movie as a televised stage play. It was originally broadcast live, and recorded as such. No second takes, no editing. Makes it pretty tense.

 

[JerichoHill]

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.

Huh? How could hold them to be right? Dude saved the world.

 

[RedRalph]

Huh? How could hold them to be right? Dude saved the world.

From a military point of view, he disobeyed procedure because of a hunch. Not the type of person you want in your missile defence system. He was right that time (thanks god) but his willingness to follow procedure and retaliate was always going to be suspect afterwards.

Edit: He should have been given a medal, dont get me wrong, the man is a hero. but you cant honestly say he was reliable in his job.