The Conservative Party’s Oppenheimer syndrome
You weaken the checks on the British state. Then your opponents take power
“OPPENHEIMER”, which won seven Oscars at the Academy Awards on March 10th, is a film about hubris and regret. Cillian Murphy plays the titular American scientist who builds the atom bomb that will end the second world war. Then the Soviets get its secrets. An arms race begins; he is tortured by visions of missiles streaking through the sky. “He talks about putting the nuclear genie back in the bottle,” scoffs a rival. The prospect of Armageddon can make you question your career decisions.
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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Oppenheimer syndrome”
From the March 23rd 2024 edition
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