Post by King Rat on Aug 14, 2006 11:31:56 GMT -6
Being bored this weekend, I got up early and watched an old black and white staring one of the greatest actors ever born - Henry Fonda. The name of the movie was Fail Safe and it was about a computer failure triggering an order for a bomber group to drop nuclear bombs on Moscow. For various reasons the bombers could not be recalled. Efforts to shoot them down (first by our fighters then by theirs) failed. So in order to gain the Soviet president's trust (and/or forgiveness) our president (Fonda) promised the soviet leader that if all efforts failed and Moscow was bombed he would order the same tonage of nuclear bombs to be dropped on New York.
One bomber got through and wiped out Moscow. True to his word, Fonda ordered New York destroyed and the movie ended with bombs falling on New York.
What was so unique was that I kept expecting the US bomber to turn around at the last minute. When that didn't happen I expected the Soviet leader to tell Fonda to spare New York.
It was surprising and thought-provoking. I wonder if, during the Cold War, any of our presidents would have made such a decision. After all, that decision prevented a nuclear war that would likely have wiped out us and them.
One bomber got through and wiped out Moscow. True to his word, Fonda ordered New York destroyed and the movie ended with bombs falling on New York.
What was so unique was that I kept expecting the US bomber to turn around at the last minute. When that didn't happen I expected the Soviet leader to tell Fonda to spare New York.
It was surprising and thought-provoking. I wonder if, during the Cold War, any of our presidents would have made such a decision. After all, that decision prevented a nuclear war that would likely have wiped out us and them.