One: Our hopes for recalling the 843rd Bomb Wing are quickly being reduced to a very low order of probability. Two: In less than fifteen minutes from now, the Russkies will be making radar contact with the planes. Three: When they do, they are gonna go absolutely ape and they're gonna strike back with everything they've got. Four: If, prior to this time, we have done nothing further to suppress their retaliatory capabilities, we will suffer virtual annihilation.
Now, Five: If, on the other hand, we were to immediately launch an all-out and coordinated attack on all their airfields and missile bases, we'd stand a damn good chance of catchin' 'em with their pants down. Hell, we've got a five-to-one missile superiority as it is. We could easily a**ign three missiles to every target and still have a very effective reserve force for any other contingency. Now, Six: An unofficial study [he rifled through a binder entitled World Targets in Megad**hs], which we undertook of this eventuality, indicated that we would destroy 90% of their nuclear capabilities. We would therefore prevail and suffer only modest and acceptable civilian casualties from the remaining force which would be badly damaged and uncoordinated.
Then, to cover his bu*t military-style, Turgidson presented the President with an impossible choice between the lesser of two evils, a reinforced or a non-reinforced attack:
Mr. President, we are rapidly approaching a moment of truth both for ourselves as human beings and for the life of our nation. Now, truth is not always a pleasant thing. But it is necessary now to make a choice, to choose between two admittedly regrettable, but nevertheless, distinguishable post-war environments. One, where you got 20 million people k**ed; and the other where you got 150 million people k**ed...Mr. President, I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than ten to twenty million k**ed. Tops! Uh, depending on the breaks.