Revisiting 'Fail-Safe' Page #2

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We've sent fighter aircraft up

to identify the bogie.

You said it could be hostile.

We have to regard it as hostile.

That doesn't mean that it is.

-Doesn't mean it isn't.

-This happens five or six times a month.

After Blue, we still have to go to

Condition Yellow, Condition Green...

...and then Condition Red.

And Condition Red is?

War.

Maybe this time it's a real UFO.

From outer space? I wouldn't mind that.

Give us something to worry about

besides the Russians.

I read your memo

on counterforce credibility.

I don't think that's what Groteschele

is going to talk about today.

You mean you don't want me

to bring it up.

Maybe not today.

Someone's got to talk about it.

This whole policy of overkill,

piling bombs on top of bombs...

...figuring even if they hit us first,

we can still destroy them.

-It's crazy.

-It's a crazy world.

-Good morning, gentlemen.

-Good morning, Mr. Secretary.

I think you all know Mr. Groteschele, here.

He's been gracious enough

to give us more of his valuable time...

...on a subject

we're all naturally concerned about.

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.

Heading right for Detroit.

Pretty cool about it, General.

My guess is a commercial airliner

is off course.

One minute to Fail Safe.

Damn thing's disappeared.

Where did it go?

Into the grass, Mr. Raskob.

Under our radar where we can't see it.

-What do we do now?

-Go to Condition Yellow.

Condition Yellow.

-Put our bombers up there, please.

-Yes, sir.

Our bombers are heading

for their Fail Safe points.

Thirty-seconds to Fail Safe.

Once they get there,

they'll orbit till we call them back.

-What are those other planes?

-Fighter support for the bombers.

It's also automatic

under these circumstances.

Twenty seconds to Fail Safe.

Nineteen, eighteen....

The early warning system indicates

it's not an air breather.

What the hell is that?

Jets create turbulence when they suck

in air through their engines.

We got a warning system

that can pick that up.

If the plane lost power, we couldn't

do that, even if we know it's there.

It could be a Russian rocket coming in

under our radar.

All groups at Fail Safe point.

Right on the money. I told you,

Mr. Raskob, our people are the best.

-How we doing, Jimmy?

-Everyone in orbit, sir.

Let's keep it there. Slow and easy.

So let's say Dr. King sits down

with the powers that be and he says:

''Mr. President, I want it to be equal''

and in a very polite way...

...the President says,

''Dr. King, I can't do it''.

As long as it's polite, sir.

Are you saying

because it's difficult don't try?

That's not what I'm saying. In the Army--

The Army's different. I'd take the Army.

There's a class system, too,

but it's based on seniority.

Let's do it that way.

Everyone in the country

will get paid equally by their age.

All men age 40 will make a better salary

than all men age 35.

What about women?

What about women?

What's happening now?

-Any word on identification?

-Not yet, sir.

What the hell's going on?

-Let's go to Condition Green.

-Condition Green.

Can you tell us why Condition Green?

No. Colonel, let's get our visitors

out of here.

-Gentlemen, please.

-The hell--

That's an order, Mr. Raskob.

The way I read the situation,

we're one minute away from going to war.

Unless you can get me back to my family,

I'm staying here to see what happens.

You really don't want to throw me

out of here.

There it is!

That's it, gentlemen.

I'm sorry we alarmed you.

Have all parties stand down.

Stand down. All parties stand down.

Stand down, Anderson.

Sergeant Anderson. Sergeant Collins.

You need to take a look at this.

We need a new indicator switch.

This one's faulty.

-Right, Chief.

-Put in the report that at 10:47 hours...

...we replaced a PK 30 indicator switch

in the Number 3 bank.

Right away, Chief.

Sir, the Fail Safe box.

I see it.

Check Omaha by radio.

Somebody screwed up.

Yes, sir.

Try another band.

Try them all.

It's the Russians.

Jamming our signals to keep us

from getting the go-ahead.

-They're too late for that.

-It's got to be a mistake.

Request permission to verify, sir.

Permission granted.

I read it as ''CAP 81 1.''

I concur your reading

is Charlie Alpha Poppa 81 1.

We will now both open

our operational orders.

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