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Dr Strangelove Sociology

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Dr. StrangeLove or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, was a 1964 film parodying the emotions of society during the atomic age in the Cold War. The Cold War wasn’t an actual war; it was more of a political rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. During the Cold War, the two countries one-upped each other in making and testing atomic bombs. Dr. StrangeLove or: How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, really made fun of the societal thinking at the time as the United States government and the people took the fear of the bombs to a whole new level. This paper will discuss the film and how it represents thinking of the U.S government and people on the use of nuclear weapons.
The Political Sociology of Cold …show more content…

Strangelove's America: Society and Culture in the Atomic Age is a book exploring the cultural responses to the Atomic Age. As this is mostly based on the movie, the book targeted fans of the movie and those who were deeply interested in the Cold War and the associated nuclear weapons. The book explains that society was split into two different cultures: a culture of consensus and a culture of dissent. If there were to be a nuclear war, society would most likely be split into the same two cultures, which gives historians an advantage over decisions. This is source goes in depth about the two cultures and how they influenced the government’s policy of stability and security, but doesn’t talk about the American public in …show more content…

For example, an insane base commander, General Ripper, orders his wing of B-52 bombers, which are on a routine alert, to circle a ''fail-safe point'' just outside the Soviet border -- to attack their targets inside the Soviet Union with powerful nuclear bombs. Ripper is part of the culture of consensus as he believed that the United States could use the powerful bombs to attack the Soviets and regain power. President Merkin Muffley, along with the joint Chief of Staff, tries to stop the general before the attacks commence. Muffley refuses to be responsible for a nuclear strike and informs the Soviet of the danger. He is part of the culture of dissent as he doesn’t want to use this weapon of mass

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