The Doomsday device epitomizes Cold War madness in Dr. Strangelove
A network of computers has been programmed to automatically destroy all life on earth in the event of a US-Soviet nuclear attack
- from Dr. Strangelove (1964)
- Creator: Stanley Kubrick
- Posted by Critical Commons Manager
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Mutually assured destruction in Dr. Strangelove
by Critical Commons ManagerPeter Sellers plays both the U.S. President and his ex-Nazi military adviser, the eponymous Dr. Strangelove. In this scene, which takes place on the brink of an unprovoked nuclear attack, the Soviet Ambassador to the U.S. reveals that his country has developed a "Doomsday Device" that will be automatically triggered by a network of computers in the event of nuclear war with the United States, destroying all life on earth for nearly a century. This scene exemplifies the discourse of cold war ideology of the arms race and mutually assured destruction as a deterrent to nuclear war, along with the absurdity of these real world military strategies.
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