Which Side Do You Agree With?
In the movie Crimson Tide starring Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman, who do you think was right and who would you have sided with?
For those not familar with this film, this is the scenario:
Rebel forces in Russia have somehow managed to obtain nuclear missles and the launch codes. They intend to launch at the United States and its allies if anybody intereferes. The US sends a nuclear submarine to standby to recieve orders to launch our missles first before the rebels can launch theirs.
The Submarine gets the orders to launch, however a rebel submarine attacks and in the middle of the battle, new orders arrive but are cut off because of radio damage, and only a fragment of the message gets through. The Captain wants to ignore the fragmented message and continue the launch sequence, the First Officer wants to delay the launch and repair the radio in order to get the full message. Their disagreement turns into an argument, which then escalates to mutiny.
Sides:
Side 1: Delay the launch sequence and allow time for the radio to be repaired and recieve the full set of orders.
Side 2: Ignore the fragmented message and go ahead with the launch.
What side do you pick?
Having seen the movie it's too easy for me to side with Washington. Side 1.
In real life it would be much more hard. I would have faith of my nation hanging
on my shoulder... But still I would imagine delaying the launch.
Custodes Rana
22-03-2005, 23:30
In the movie Crimson Tide starring Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman, who do you think was right and who would you have sided with?
For those not familar with this film, this is the scenario:
Rebel forces in Russia have somehow managed to obtain nuclear missles and the launch codes. They intend to launch at the United States and its allies if anybody intereferes. The US sends a nuclear submarine to standby to recieve orders to launch our missles first before the rebels can launch theirs.
The Submarine gets the orders to launch, however a rebel submarine attacks and in the middle of the battle, new orders arrive but are cut off because of radio damage, and only a fragment of the message gets through. The Captain wants to ignore the fragmented message and continue the launch sequence, the First Officer wants to delay the launch repair the radio in order to get the full message. Their disagreement turns into an argument, which then escalates to mutiny.
Sides:
Side 1: Delay the launch sequence and allow time for the radio to be repaired and recieve the full set of orders.
Side 2: Ignore the fragmented message and go ahead with the launch.
What side do you pick?
Side 1
ElleDiamonique
22-03-2005, 23:32
Side 1.
Illich Jackal
22-03-2005, 23:33
I'll go with some old fashioned 'game theory':
Continue launch:
-if new order was to abort, you cause a nuclear war and you lose everything.
-if new order was something else, nuclear war is inevitable and you lose everything
Abort launch:
-if new order was to abort, life goes on.
-if new order was something else, nuclear war is inevitable and you lose everything.
The only way to 'gain' something is by aborting the launch.
I'll go with some old fashioned 'game theory':
Continue launch:
-if new order was to abort, you cause a nuclear war and you lose everything.
-if new order was something else, nuclear war is inevitable and you lose everything
Abort launch:
-if new order was to abort, life goes on.
-if new order was something else, nuclear war is inevitable and you lose everything.
The only way to 'gain' something is by aborting the launch.
That's a pretty nice way to think about it. Very grounded and logical.
The Tribes Of Longton
22-03-2005, 23:37
Option 3: Offer your services to the Russian rebels. Faking a sinking, spend years developing an underground network of farms. Wait until the time is right, the nuke the US. Wait a few centuries, then resurface and hope no-one has a record of your act... :D
Really, though - Option one. Jackass captain.
1. "We nuked you first" doesn't really cut it if there are severe losses on both sides. Nobody wins.
Actually I have to nit pick - it was barratry not mutiny - mutiny is by non officers - if its officers the proper term is barratry or so I recall.
And I don't feel that the choice is as clear cut as it seems. There are factors on both side, subtleties that you really have to watch the movie to pick up.
The captain of a nuke oridnanced sub is one of the most carefully chosen men in the world. The pressure on them is enormous, to the point that I don't feel that any one but some one in that position, or the rare similar position can truly comprehend what they deal with.
They are entrused with WMD - a term that wwe throw around all to casually these days it seems. Which is an appaling thing.
They are encharge of other men in a steel pipe that generally roams at about 300 feet below the surface where a minor mistake can kill them faster than launching that nuke can.
The men who can deal with all of the various factors and still be considered sane enough to be entrusted with such destructiveness are few and hard to find. Most officers never make it past the mandatory psych evals ( a fact seldom talked about )