American Government is Always to Blame According to Dr. Strangelove

            Dr. Strangelove is an interesting movie consisting of many misunderstandings that lead to a nuclear war between the United State of America and Russia and ultimately lead to the destruction of the world.  The first major misunderstanding is when the entire air force believes that they are under nuclear attack by the Russians.  The men follow orders and put their lives on the line for a man, General Jack Ripper, who they trust; a misconception that his decision is reliable and sane.  However, General Ripper believes in a conspiracy theory that the Russians are attacking the United States by putting fluoride in the water, which is in fact put in the water to strengthen our teeth.  Major T. J. “King” Kong and his crew are also under the impression that the order they are to follow was made and is completely reliable.  They believe that by bombing Russia they are saving the United States of America, their families, and also the world, when, in fact, they trigger the Doomsday machine, a machine that is programmed to destroy every living thing on planet earth and cannot be programmed to do otherwise.  General Buck Turgidson and many others in the nation mistrust the Russians and believe that they despise the United State of America simply because, as stated in the movie, they are communists and atheists. 

            I find it interesting that the movie is named after the character, Dr. Strangelove because he is only seen in two or three scenes.  He almost has nothing to do with the plot because, first, he is neither Russian nor American.  He is expected to be a genius, but the only idea he has to get them out of the mess is one where chosen people, people that are healthy and attractive, live under the ground and reproduce until it is safe to come to the surface of the earth, an idea that is similar to Hitler’s in creating a superior race.  This makes a lot of sense considering that Dr. Strangelove is German and was a Nazi, as we can tell from his arm spasms.

            There is only one woman in the entire film, the secretary of General Turginson.  We see her in a bathing suit and reading a book in General Turginson’s room.  This idea of the sexy secretary has been seen before in some of the movies we have previously seen in this class, such as in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter. 

            The relationship between the President of the United States and the dictator of Russia is both hilarious and impractical.  It gives us, as the audience, the impression that the President has nothing better to do with his time than to make social calls to his buddies.  This movie also attacks the air force and the United State’s military as well.  The fact that one person can order the entire air force to bomb a country and he is also the only one who can recall them is absurd.  I believe that this movie was made to make fun of the United States and her methods and strategies.