Fail Safe (2000 TV Movie)

Bill Smitrovich: Gen. Stark

Quotes 

• Prof. Groeteschele : In every war, even a thermonuclear war, you must have a victor and you must have a vanquished. History tells us that the culture which is best prepared, has the best retaliatory policy, and the best defense, will have an ancient and classical advantage.

  Brig. Gen. Warren Black : To be victorious...

  Prof. Groeteschele : Yes, General. It would be the victor, in that it would be less damaged than its enemy.

  Gen. Stark : *We* would be the victor.

  Prof. Groeteschele : That would be our hope, General.

  Brig. Gen. Warren Black : Groeteschele, your argument doesn't recognize that thermonuclear war is not the extension of policy, it is the end of everything: People, policy, institutions...

  Prof. Groeteschele : My argument, General Black, is that if only one of us is to survive a nuclear exchange, I prefer that it be our culture and not the Soviets'. Wouldn't you?

  Brig. Gen. Warren Black : 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.

  Gen. Stark : Yes, but war's function remains the same, Blackie. Whether it's a spear thrown, or a nuclear bomb.

  Prof. Groeteschele : War is still the resolution of economic and political conflict.

  Brig. Gen. Warren Black : 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?

  Prof. Groeteschele : Yes, General, the situation is no different then it was a thousand years ago. There were primitive wars in which entire populations were completely wiped out. The point remains: Who will be the victor, and who will be the victim? So short of disarmament, for which you seem to be arguing, and to which I highly doubt the Soviets would agree, what shall we do? These weapons exist. We can face that, or we can close our minds to it.

  Brig. Gen. Warren Black : 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.