:11:04
General, we know they're fine men,
but in a nuclear war we can't afford
:11:08
to have missiles
lying dormant in those silos
:11:11
because those men refuse to turn
the keys when the computers tell 'em to!
:11:15
You mean when
the president orders them to.
:11:17
The president will probably follow
the computer war plan. That's a fact!
:11:22
I imagine the Joint Chiefs
will have some input.
:11:24
- You're damn tootin'.
- Well, hell...
:11:27
In a surprise attack, there's no time.
:11:30
23 minutes from warning to impact.
:11:32
- Six minutes if it's sub-launched.
- Six minutes.
:11:35
That's barely enough time
for the president to make a decision.
:11:39
Once he makes the decision,
the computer should take over.
:11:42
Now, sir, I know that you've got
a plane waiting for you,
:11:46
but if you could indulge me,
I'd like to show you something.
:11:56
These computers give instant access
to the state of the world.
:12:00
Troop movements, Soviet
missile tests, weather patterns.
:12:03
It all flows into this room,
and then into the WOPR computer.
:12:07
- WOPR? What is that?
- War Operation Plan Response.
:12:10
This is Mr Richter.
:12:12
Paul, would you like to tell
these gentlemen about the WOPR?
:12:16
Well, the WOPR spends all its time
thinking about World War Ill.
:12:20
24 hours a day, 365 days a year,
it plays an endless series of war games
:12:28
using all available information
on the state of the world.
:12:31
The WOPR has already fought
World War Ill, as a game,
:12:35
time and time again.
:12:37
It estimates Soviet responses
to our responses
:12:40
to their responses, and so on.
:12:43
Estimates damage. Counts the dead.
:12:45
Then it looks for ways
to improve its score...
:12:48
The point is that the key decisions
:12:50
of every option have already
been made by the WOPR.
:12:53
So all this trillion-dollar hardware
is really at the mercy
:12:57
of those men with the little brass keys?