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“This is absolute madness, Ambassador,” President Merkin Muffley says in the film, after being told about the Soviets’ automated retaliatory system. “Why should
by cperciva 12y ago
“This is absolute madness, Ambassador,” President Merkin Muffley says in the film, after being told about the Soviets’ automated retaliatory system. “Why should you build such a thing?”
In the case of the Russian "Dead Hand", one of the stated purposes was to reduce the potential for nuclear war, by allowing the command-and-control structure to delay the decision about retaliation until it is clear that a possible attack is, in fact, a real attack.
If you think "I have 30 seconds to decide whether to launch a retaliatory strike", you're far more likely to make a bad decision than if you think "I don't need to do anything, because if the blips on our radar are ICBMs then a retaliatory strike will happen after I'm dead".
- Ygg2 12y agoIt's missing the point somewhat. Dead Hand is Russia's nuclear deterrent against Russia. It would make no sense to broadcast it's existence to US. Why would Russia need deterrent against Russia? Some people in charge were wary of America and wanted a preemptive nuclear attack, to thwart chance of total nuclear annihilation. Dead Hand in theory allows Russia to deliver a Strike from beyond, thereby removing need for premature nuclear annihilation.
- Spooky23 12y agoThe other thing to consider that the same capability probably exists in the US for the same purpose. Otherwise, those flocks of geese on the DEW line and similar screw-ups would have brought on nuclear annihilation.