KUBRICK AND STRANGELOVE - DID WE LEARN?

The Bay of Pigs, the Berlin Wall and the Cuban Missile Crisis were all indications that the Cold War was heating up.  Stanley Kubrick was very aware of what could happen and began studying on his own the effects of thermo-nuclear war.  Kubrick began making one of his three masterpieces, 'Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned Not To Worry And To Love the Bomb'. It is still recognized as one of the best films in history today.  It was a satire film designed to make the American people aware of how foreign countries can effect our way of living and how events can lead to a nuclear war that could end life on the planet.

The film is based on a rogue general who begins a nuclear attack on the Russians because they are putting fluoride in our water compromising our precious bodily fluids.  The Russians never drink water opting instead for round after round of vodka.  Kubrick describes how all the fail safes designed to prevent an nuclear attack can actually work against the prevention of such an attack by the fail safes being used to prevent the recall of such an attack.

Was Kubrick successful?  Did we learn the lesson that Kubrick was trying to teach us?  In the film, one plane, piloted by Slim Pickens makes it through the barriers because it is damaged by a Russian missile during its flight.  The plane is forced to fly below the radar and thus makes it past the Russian defense that has been given approval by the President of the United States for the Russians to destroy any American planes not obeying the recall of the attack.  Pickens runs into all kinds of problems with his plane because of the missile attack.  The final problem is that the bomb bay doors will not open so Pickens goes down to the belly of the aircraft and while sitting on one of the bombs, fixes the problem and the doors open.  Shortly thereafter the plane releases the bomb and we see Pickens riding the bomb down until it detonates.  This sets off a Russian "doomsday machine" which is designed to destroy all life on the planet.

Meanwhile back in Washington, a Nazi like adviser to the President, Dr. Strangelove, develops a plan and presents it to the president on how the American civilization can survive by going underground for one hundred years and develop a master race of Americans during the underground period.  Sharp satire indeed comparing the American war machine to Nazi Germany just twenty years after the end of World War Two.

The film was released in late January of 1964 and Kubrick's film began trying to educate the American public.  Did Stanly Kubrick succeed?


Over the history of our country, numerous artists, writers, and film makers have tried to warn us that our position and power can bring about our destruction if we are not alert and aware of the dangers presented to us.  As many before him tried to do, Kubrick sent a message that has largely been ignored by the American public and Government since 1964.

What is the indicator that we did not receive Kubrick's message and warning to us?  We still allow the Russians to covertly fluoridate our water supply sapping and compromising all of America's precious bodily fluids.