Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Page #5

My President needs me.

What do you think

about civil defence?

Of course it isn't only physical.

I respect you as a human being.

Someday I'll make you

Mrs. Buck Turgidson.

You go back to sleep. Buckie

will be there as soon as he can.

Don't forget to say your prayers.

The 23rd Airborne Division

is stationed seven miles away.

I want them to locate Gen. Ripper

and put him in contact with me.

- Yes, sir.

- Mr. President...

If I may advise... Under Condition

Red the base is sealed off -

- and defended by base troops.

They'd encounter heavy casualties.

With all due respect, my boys can

brush them aside without trouble.

There are one or two points

I'd like to make, if I may.

Go ahead, General.

One:
Our hopes of recalling

the 843rd Bomb Wing -

- are quickly being reduced

to a low probability.

Two:
In 15 minutes the Russkies will

have radar contact with the planes.

Three:
When they do, they'll go ape,

striking back with all they've got.

Four:
If we've done nothing to limit

their retaliatory capability, -

- we will suffer annihilation.

Five:
Lf, on the other hand, -

- we launched an attack on all their

bases, we'd stand a good chance.

We have missile superiority. We can

send three missiles to each target -

- and still have a reserve force.

Six:
An unofficial study, which we

undertook of this eventuality, -

- indicated that we would destroy

We'd prevail, suffering only modest

losses from their remaining force, -

- which would be badly damaged

and uncoordinated.

It is our policy never to

strike first with nuclear weapons.

Gen. Ripper has already

invalidated that policy.

That was not

an act of national policy.

Mr. President...

We are approaching a moment of truth

for ourselves and our nation.

The truth is not always pleasant.

But it is necessary now to choose -

- between two regrettable but

distinguishable post-war scenarios:

One with 20 million killed,

and one with 150 million killed.

- You're talking about mass murder.

- I know we'll get our hair mussed.

But no more than 10-20 million dead.

Tops! Depending on the breaks...

I won't go down in history

as the next Hitler.

Are you more concerned with the

American people or with your image?

General, I think I've heard

sufficient from you, thank you.

Mr. President, they have

the ambassador waiting upstairs.

- He's having a fit about the MP's.

- Have him brought in straight away.

Is that the Russian ambassador?

Yes, it is.

The Russian ambassador is to be

admitted entrance to the War Room?

He is here on my orders.

Are you aware of what a serious

breach of security that would be?

He'll see everything.

He'll see the big board.

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