Just as “Dr. Strangelove” jokingly drew attention to the possibility of World War III in the '60s, Netflix's recently released “Dynamite” does the same thing, but with more poignancy.
The film shows that in a dilemma that could lead to nuclear war, it's impossible to predict how things will turn out. There are too many variables, and the person in charge who gives the orders is, after all, a human being. But more importantly, as unpredictable problems arise, the arguments for and against pushing buttons push people into unpredictable situations. This means that even if the facts aren't on the table (no one in the movie knows whether Russia is behind the missiles that are about to destroy Chicago), the risk of war breaking out, the likelihood of “suicide” (in the words of one key figure) is greater.
All of the key characters in the film who influence the final decision of whether to strike Russia are smart and responsible in their own way. Compare that to where we are now, where the guy we have in the White House is surrounded by guys like Hegers and Marco Rubio. The situation is more dangerous than ever.
People should watch this movie and talk about it. Casual talk about the use of nuclear weapons has become the new normal. In this sense, the situation today is worse than at the height of the Cold War, when everyone knew what was at stake. Trump’s recent announcement to resume nuclear bomb testing did not elicit the response it deserved. Not many Democrats are even talking about this issue. Gavin Newsom did it, but half the people thought it was just tough guy talk. Russia has 4,309 nuclear warheads, the United States has 4,309 nuclear warheads, and China has about 600. This means that, despite its remote location, the United States is not safe in any sense.
This issue must be raised by people on the ground, as the corporate media (which is beholden to the military-industrial complex) certainly cannot be relied upon to drive serious dialogue about this issue. It's up to us, We the People, to do that.
