Doomsday Returns to Headlines
[translate:“Doomsday”] is an Old English term dating back to the 900s. It originally referred to Judgment Day, the final event when the Almighty separates the righteous from the wicked.
Today, the word [translate:Doomsday] describes any catastrophic disaster that could end the world. It recently came to mind while watching the Netflix film A House of Dynamite.
Plot of "A House of Dynamite"
The story involves an intercontinental ballistic missile launched toward Chicago, allegedly by North Korea. The U.S. president has 18 minutes to decide how to respond.
Nuclear Fear in the 1950s and 60s
This film evokes the late 1950s and early 1960s, when fear of nuclear annihilation was widespread. Schools held civil defense drills and taught nuclear decontamination, while many built home bomb shelters.
Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove"
This era’s anxiety was satirized in Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 film Dr. Strangelove, a darkly humorous take on nuclear catastrophe.
“The Russians have developed a Doomsday Machine, a nuclear device designed to automatically detonate upon the outbreak of a nuclear war, destroying the world and providing all sides with a motivation to avoid striking first.”
Anyone who saw A House of Dynamite should also watch Dr. Strangelove for its iconic portrayal of Cold War nuclear fears.
Author's Summary: The concept of Doomsday, rooted in ancient judgment beliefs, remains relevant today through modern media reflecting ongoing nuclear anxieties and historical Cold War fears.