MovieChat Forums > By Dawn's Early Light (1990) Discussion > This movie was kind of satire, wasn't it...

This movie was kind of satire, wasn't it?

posted 12 years ago by snafuone
15 replies | jump to latest

** SPOILER ALERT **

The secretary of the interior, becomming such a warmongering president. WOW! It was almost comical, but perhaps, that COULD be what we'd end up with if the president of this country were to ever die during such a calamity. Think of Dan Quayle, right hand man of George H.W. Bush. Probably the lamest vice president this country has ever had. A total dimwit he was, but could you imagine if we never did make peace with the Soviet Union? Imagine if we did get into it with the Russians during Bush's presidency, and somehow Dubya's daddy was taken out. We'd end up with Quayle as our prez. The comedy of this movie, which was really in that acting president's dialogue, really made you think, and hope for the best for our country's future! He was a total know nothing idiot when it came to being president. Rip Torn's character, as a Joint Chief general was another idiot that we hope we never see if the real war scenario plays out. The whole goal was to turn the war off, or the end of the world was a stark reality. These guys were all about winning the war. How the hell can you win a nuclear war? You can't! NOBODY WINS! Glad that the Looking Glass took that butthead of a president out, so there would be a tomorrow SOMEWHERE in the world, and perhaps both the U.S. and Russian cities would someday recover.

[–] pinta70 12 years ago

Watching the Secretary of the Interior be as gung-ho to kill as your typical movie general (Rip Torn in the film), I wondered how much thought really goes into choosing people for the line of succession (in real life). Besides VP, does anyone really consider this?

Laura Roslin was 43rd in line, on SyFy's series BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, when she assumed the presidency. She went from Secretary of Education to President of the Colonies. In derogatory terms, she was referred to as the school teacher.

[–] alioth4 10 years ago

And yet luckily, she rose to the occasion and learned how to lead effectively to protect her people.

I suppose when you get that far down the succession ladder, it can be a crapshoot. After all, past VP or maybe Speaker of the House, I don't think any of those folks seriously imagine ever being President (in that term anyway--maybe in the future after they've gained some experience--Sec of State can be good preparation). Sec of the Interior, or Sec of Education? Often these are either quasi-patronage jobs, or filled by people who have particular experience in just that particular area, but hardly "the big picture" or with ambitions of the same. It showed that that Secretary of the Interior was clearly out of his depth, or as he put it, "had the whole barn fall on top of him"--he never dreamed in a million years that he'd be President, let alone one in the midst of a nuclear war.

Understanding is a three-edged sword.

[–] club-shred 11 years ago

That's hysterical! Dan Quayle as the lamest VP and no mention of Joe Biden!!

Oh man... your comment was satire wasn't it?

Hi, I'm Chandler... could I BE wearing any more clothes???

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] Enigmaticocean77 (2120) 9 months ago

I was thinking the same thing. However, in 2023 Biden is the lamest worst president of the modern era. He makes Jimmy Carter and Obama look like geniuses.

[–] Ashley Pomeroy 10 years ago

After Reagan was wounded by Mark Chapman there was an incident where Secretary of State Alexander Haig briefly assumed command of the US, or at least claimed that he was in charge.

Vice President George Bush Snr was temporarily incommunicado - from what I remember he was on a commercial flight, and didn't have access to an in-flight phone. Technically Haig was wrong, and I have no idea if his orders would have been followed if the Soviets had taken that opportunity to invade Europe.

But I've always assumed that Haig was the template for this kind of dramatic trope. The idea of a level-headed president being taken out of the loop in favour of a less diplomatic aide.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] Blueghost 9 years ago

The personality that would escalate hostilities is the person who has no values and sees a no-win strategic situation as winnable. Dan Quayle, for all of his criticisms, is actually not that kind of a person (and he was chosen as a running mate by George H.W. Bush to appease the far right of the Republican party).

It would take someone who had little in the way of good judgment to escalate a limited conflict to a larger one. Who that person is, I don't know.

But I would suggest that it was neither anyone in the Soviet Union nor the United States.

Most likely, today, it would be a fundamentalist from the Middle East, or someone like Kim Il Sung who believes in his own divinity. Someone whose reasoning capacity falls into delusional belief in their own ability to win.

I hope that helps.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] NOTACLERK1 8 years ago

You never know how people will react in crisis..some soldiers have run...and like in the U.S. Revolutionary war women sometimes took mens place firing Artillery when they were judt supposed to bring wster to clean the embers from the cannon barrels.

[–] MartyMoose1977 (94) 2 years ago

Dan Quayle talked Mike Pence out of overthrowing the election. He's a GD American Hero. Who woulda thunk knuckle head Dan Quayle could one day be a real American hero.

[–] brux (14666) 2 years ago

Where did you get that from?

[–] MartyMoose1977 (94) 2 years ago

I got it from the news...

[–] Enigmaticocean77 (2120) 9 months ago

Yeah, because a zombie, pedophile, construct is a great person to have as a president...

[–] MartyMoose1977 (94) 8 months ago

Get used to it were getting a second Joe Biden term no way America elects a dude in prison. If I had it my way I'd set age limits at 65 years old to become president. We already have a solid minimum age we also need a maximum. last thing this country needs is 4 more years of any of these ancient old fuks regardless of party.