Revisiting 'Fail-Safe' Page #3

---

So, Mr. Groteschele, the floor is all yours.

Thank you.

I shall try not to waste your valuable time.

The subject today is ''Nuclear War.''

Specifically, ''Winning a Nuclear War.''

We know in a exchange

between the Soviets and Americans...

...100 million people, more or less,

would be killed.

A 100 million or more?

Yes, Mr. Secretary.

That would be nothing but a tragedy...

...nobody here denies that.

Every war, even a thermonuclear war,

must have a victor and a vanquished.

History tells us that the culture

which is best prepared...

...has the best retaliation,

and the best defense...

...will have an ancient

and classical advantage.

To be victorious?

Yes. It would be the victor in that

it would be less damaged than its enemy.

We would be the victor.

That would be our hope.

Your argument doesn't recognize

that thermonuclear war...

...is not the extension of policy...

...it is the end of everything:

People, policy, institutions--

My argument is if someone

is to survive a nuclear exchange...

...I prefer that it be our culture

and not the Soviets'.

Culture? With most of its people dead?

It's vegetation burned off?

Do you really think

that the world you describe is a culture?

The idea of war has changed since

the advent of the Bomb.

War's function remains the same, Blackie.

Whether it's a spear thrown

or a nuclear bomb.

War is still the resolution

of economic and political conflict.

In these times, in any possible war...

...the overwhelming majority of citizens

are going to be killed.

Does this still suggest to you

that war is a resolution of conflicts?

The situation is no different

then it was 1,000 years ago.

There were wars in which

entire populations were wiped out.

The point remains: Who will be the victor

and who will be the victim?

Short of disarmament,

to which I doubt the Soviets would agree...

...what shall we do?

These weapons exist. We can face that

or we can close our minds to it.

Groteschele, this world is no longer

man's theater.

Man has been made into a spectator.

We define policy by discussing the

possibility of a winnable nuclear exchange.

Once one knows where he wants to go...

...he can collect a great amount of logic

and fact to support his argument.

My fear is that both we and the Soviets

are settled on mutual destruction.

We are now rallying our different logics

to support our identical conclusions.

And, if we are not careful, gentlemen,

we will both get the results that we want.

General Bogan, UFO at angels 30,

speed 525, heading 196.

That means the unidentified aircraft

is flying at 30,000 feet...

...the speed of 500 miles an hour

on a compass heading of 196.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes