No, that’s not what happens in Dr. Strangelove at all. In Dr. Strangelove, a legitimate launch order is given, the bombers take off, and then, while they’re on their way to their destination, the launch order is rescinded. However, the one bomber (due to equipment failure, I think), fails to receive the retraction of the launch order. The President, realizing that this bomber did not receive the order to turn back, authorizes the Soviets to shoot down the plane. The Soviets, however, are unable to do so, as the bomber has diverted from its primary target and is heading towards a nearer secondary target. The bomber crew, following their orders to the letter, undertake heroic efforts to get their bomb operational and drop it, even though that means sacrificing their commander.
In a sense, Dr. Strangelove is the very opposite of what Stanislav Petrov did. Rather than save humanity by disobeying orders, the crew dooms humanity by following its orders.
The downward chain of command holds appropriately but a person (I think the character is named Jack D Ripper) that shouldn’t be making such a call is in a factual position to act as if he had received one. Part of the point is that it is surprising and that the remedy to have them court martialled is not comforting at all. Yes he does not personally go to nuke the soviets but he acts on his own without cooperation with the powers invested in him.
The points do not need to be in conflict. Ripper can doom the humanity by doing unauthorised things while the bomber crew dooms them by doing authorised things.
The bomber crew equivalents also kept the cold war cold because it was plausible that they could be used for the their trained purpose.
No, that’s not what happens in Dr. Strangelove at all. In Dr. Strangelove, a legitimate launch order is given, the bombers take off, and then, while they’re on their way to their destination, the launch order is rescinded. However, the one bomber (due to equipment failure, I think), fails to receive the retraction of the launch order. The President, realizing that this bomber did not receive the order to turn back, authorizes the Soviets to shoot down the plane. The Soviets, however, are unable to do so, as the bomber has diverted from its primary target and is heading towards a nearer secondary target. The bomber crew, following their orders to the letter, undertake heroic efforts to get their bomb operational and drop it, even though that means sacrificing their commander.
In a sense, Dr. Strangelove is the very opposite of what Stanislav Petrov did. Rather than save humanity by disobeying orders, the crew dooms humanity by following its orders.
The downward chain of command holds appropriately but a person (I think the character is named Jack D Ripper) that shouldn’t be making such a call is in a factual position to act as if he had received one. Part of the point is that it is surprising and that the remedy to have them court martialled is not comforting at all. Yes he does not personally go to nuke the soviets but he acts on his own without cooperation with the powers invested in him.
The points do not need to be in conflict. Ripper can doom the humanity by doing unauthorised things while the bomber crew dooms them by doing authorised things.
The bomber crew equivalents also kept the cold war cold because it was plausible that they could be used for the their trained purpose.