Why in the old films did they think they could survive a nuclear holocaust by hiding under desks?

Question

:/



dumb*sses


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alright well if they were lied to, it would only lead them to believe that they were being lied to later on.

ahemmm.... rightttt

Answer 1

it wasnt just in films, we had drills in school, like children today have fire drills,,, and we got under our desk,,,,,,, your right it makes no sense

Answer 2

It was nearly the 60s before it was really understood how deadly the after effects of radiation were and thus even in the mid 50s American soldiers were being trained to advance on a Bombed location just as had been done by conventional bombing and shelling notions of softening the enemy up!

The School Drills were based on the same naive notions which could save some lives for a while, assuming they were outside of Ground Zero, the actual blast area which could go for miles. Secondary areas would be hit with the aftershock hurricane or tornado like fall out and radiation and that was the aim of the Drills

Of course the wealthy schools had fall out shelters, but over all the National Defense Program helped to calm the people falsely or not getting people to believe we could cope!

Answer 3

People knew no better.

Then, as now, they were educated by the popular media who only gave out the news their bosses told them to give out. Most people preferred to be innocent and just bought into the popular party line, much as they still do regarding the world situation.

This was a simple solution for a simple people. For truly at that time, the American people were simple, straightforward, and trusted their government. BTW.. by simple I mean relatively uncomplicated, NOT dumb.

When those first images of a blast came out on the news in the early 1950's, they were terrifying to behold. We were not hardened by the constant barrage of terror that we live with today.
I was 5 then. I had nightmares. The the government, to give the people a sense of security, came up with that foolish strategy.

People knew little of radiation and all the horrors of the bomb because they still preferred to hide from the images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It could not happen to THEM! Or could it? Bring on the desks and you had a quick fix for a naive public. And wow, it did not cost the government a penny!

I also see this as the beginning of the installation of paranoia and fear into the American public. The true origins of the climate of fear and paranoia that has so greatly grown since 911. It all serves the same purpose, the weakening of a populace through fear.

Answer 4

When I was in the military, I was given a charcoal lined suit, a gas mask, rubber boots and gloves. I was trained to don this equipment in 20 seconds. I felt safe. Later, I learned that the likelyhood of surviving a gas attack was very thin.

The old films were propoganda to make people feel safe despite the lethality of the threat. Public knowledge about the effects of a nuclear explosion was minimal and did not include the mutative properties of radiation. However the "Duck and Cover" films gave them a false sense of security.

Answer 5

Having watched the movies of the nuclear tests in Australia and the Pacific Islands in the 1950's, no one would hide under a desk in the eye of a nuclear storm. The propaganda that a blast was survivable started in the US of A where they had regular nuclear drills in schools, constructed underground bunkers and stocked them well, especially with firearm to fight of starving deranged looters from the nuclear winter. Complete waste of time.

Answer 6

um not necessarily dumb butss as you so suggest, maybe you should exercise some restraint before you put your foor in your mouth as you jsut did. there were two primary reasons for teh "duck and cover" method of reaction to a nuclear strike. first being under an object would possibly provide some protection from falling debries from teh blast and or from teh concussion of the concussion of the blast, also if one was not directly within the blast radius, any faloout, eg nuclear contaminated debries, would nto fall on ones person therby contaminating a person, thereby increasing survival
thanx

Answer 7

People back then were not so clued up on the damage nuclear explosions could do as we are these days. They had to go on the advice given by the government & half of them were probably none the wiser either.
It is not fair to call them dumb*sses. We all have to learn from our mistakes.

Answer 8

These films were based on studies of victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. All of the people in these cities were not killed in the atomic blasts. Why? Becasue in one way or another they were protected from the blast. Many vicitms of the bombings were not killed by the radiation and heat but were killed or injured by flying glass, debris, etc. all of which could have been avoided if they "ducked and covered."

Answer 9

This was an effort to avert panic. We were also shown films on how to set compound fractures and other medical emergencies in jr high school.(in the 60's) The one they wouldn't show us was how to deliver a baby in emergency conditions. Go figure.

Answer 10

Wishful thinking and a feeling of invulnerability...America never thought we would be attacked....The films in the 60's you are talking about were the result of a communist buildup in Cuba during the Kennedy administration......

Answer 11

this was actually official British advice. Take a door off and lean it against the wall, shelter beneath it. Under a table, Under the stairs.