Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Page #2

I think the Pentagon

is testing our readiness.

They're going too far. We'll be

inside Russian radar in 20 minutes.

Listen. All the stations

are churning it out.

Mandrake, I thought

I ordered all radios impounded.

I was impounding this one

when I happened to switch it on.

With our boys in Russian radar in

Group Captain...

The officer exchange programme does

not allow you to question my orders.

I realise that, but I thought

you'd be pleased to hear the news.

After all, let's face it...

We don't want to start a nuclear war

unless we have to.

Please sit down...

and turn that thing off.

What about the planes? Surely we'll

issue the recall code immediately.

The planes will not be recalled.

My attack orders stand.

That is, to my way of thinking,

rather an odd way of looking at it.

If a Russian attack was in progress,

we'd not hear civilian broadcasting.

- Are you certain of that?

- I'm certain.

- And what if it were true?

- I'm still not with you, sir.

If an attack was not in progress,

your orders to the entire wing...

I would say, sir, that something

was dreadfully wrong somewhere.

Take it easy...

Make me a drink of grain alcohol and

rainwater, and help yourself.

Gen. Ripper, as an officer

in Her Majesty's Air Force, -

- it is my duty

to issue the recall code -

- on my own authority, and bring

back the wing. If you'll excuse me.

I must ask you for the key and the

recall code. Do you have them handy?

I told you to take it easy.

There's nothing anyone can do now.

- Only I know the three-letter code.

- Then I insist you give it to me.

Are you threatening an officer

with a gun?

Mandrake, I suppose

it never occured to you -

- that while we're chatting here,

the President is making a decision -

- with the Joint Chiefs

at the Pentagon.

When they realise they cannot

recall the wing, -

- there will be only one plan

open to them:
Total commitment.

Do you recall what Clemenceau

once said about war?

I don't think I do, sir.

He said war was too important

to be left to the generals.

When he said that, 50 years ago,

he might have been right.

But today, war is too important

to be left to politicians.

They have neither the time,

the training, -

- nor the inclination

for strategic thought.

I can no longer sit back

and allow Communist infiltration, -

- Communist indoctrination,

Communist subversion -

- and the international

Communist conspiracy -

- to sap and impurify

all of our precious bodily fluids.

Mr. President, the

Secretary of State is in Vietnam -

- and the Secretary of Defence

is in Laos.

We can establish contact with them

if it's necessary.

Gen. Turgidson,

what's going on here?

Mr. President...

About 35 minutes ago,

Gen. Jack Ripper, -

- the commanding general

of Burpelson Air Force Base, -

- issued an order to his 34 B-52's

which were airborne at the time, -

- as part of a special exercise

called Operation Dropkick.

It appears he ordered the planes

to attack their targets in Russia.

The planes are armed with nuclear

weapons averaging 40 megatons.

The central display of Russia will

indicate the position of the planes.

The triangles

are their primary targets, -

- and the squares

are their secondary targets.

The aircraft will penetrate

Russian radar cover in 25 minutes.

I find this difficult to understand.

I thought only I had the authority

to order the use of nuclear weapons.

That's right, sir. You are the

only person authorized to do so.

And though I hate to judge

before the facts are in, -

- it looks like Gen. Ripper

exceeded his authority.

Far beyond the point

I would have imagined possible.

Perhaps you're forgetting

the provisions of Plan R, sir.

Plan R is an emergency war plan, -

- in which a commander may retaliate

following a sneak attack.

If the normal chain of command has

been disrupted. You approved it.

You must recall the hastle regarding

our deterrent lacking credibility.

The idea was for Plan R to be

a retaliatory safeguard.

- A safeguard?

- The human element failed us...

The idea was to deter Russia from

wiping out Washington and yourself.

So they couldn't escape retaliation

due to a lack of proper command.

The planes will return once

they reach their fail-safe points?

No, they were at their fail-safe

points when the go-code was issued.

Once beyond fail-safe they continue

until they reach their targets.

Why haven't you countermanded

the go-code?

- We're unable to reach the planes.

- Why?

As you may recall, -

- one of the provisions provides

that, once the go-code is given, -

- the radios are switched to a coded

device, designated CRM114.

In order to prevent the enemy

from issuing fake orders, -

- CRM is designed

not to receive at all.

Unless the message is preceeded by

the correct three-letter prefix.

Do you mean to tell me you are

unable to recall the aircraft?

That's about right. We are plowing

through three-letter combinations.

But since there are

...it'll take us 2 days.

- When do we pentrate Russian radar?

- About 18 minutes.

- Are you in contact with Ripper?

- No, he sealed off the base.

- How did you get this information?

- He called after issuing the code.

I have a partial transcript

of that conversation...

The duty officer asked Ripper to

confirm he had issued the go-code.

He said, "Yes. They're on their way,

and no one can bring them back."

"For our country's sake, I suggest

sending the rest of SAC after them."

"Otherwise we will be destroyed

by Red retaliation."

"My boys will give you a good start:

"And you won't stop them now."

"So let's get going.

There's no other choice."

"God willing, we will prevail.

In peace, in freedom from fear, -

- and in true health, through

the purity of our natural...

...fluids."

"God bless you all."

Then he hung up.

- We're working on that last phrase.

- The man's obviously a psychotic.

I'd hold off judgement on a thing

like that until the facts are in.

Gen. Turgidson, when you instituted

the human reliability tests, -

- you assured me such a thing

could never occur.

It's not fair to condemn the whole

programme because of one slip-up.

- I want to speak to Gen. Ripper.

- That's impossible.

I'm no longer interested in your

estimates of what is possible.

Gen. Faceman, are there any

Army units stationed near Burpelson?

I'll just check, sir.

Hello...

I told you never to call me here.

Don't you know where I am?

Look, baby, I can't talk now.

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 -

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