Isomorphs of Paranoia: Chemical Arsenals

Abstract

In the United States after the September 2001 attacks, citizens were advised to protect themselves from toxic dusts by covering their windows with plastic sheeting and duct tape that could be purchased from any hardware store. One hundred years ago, terrorists would not have had ready access to today’s common chemicals to create makeshift explosives, and citizens would not have had access to plastic sheeting or duct tape to protect themselves from aerosols or gases. Chemical weapons have engendered a cloud of fear since their introduction into warfare during World War I. Recently, the large-scale use of chemicals as lethal weapons has drifted from warfare to terrorism. Chemical weapons are often equated with poison gases (either asphyxiation or nerve agents), but as can be seen in the list of movies for this chapter, they are actually the most diverse type of weapon. Some of these weapons are discussed elsewhere in the book (psychedelic agents, chapter 5; explosives, chapter 9). The chemistry in nuclear weapons movies is discussed in the commentary sections for those movies that use them. The movies in this chapter are closely linked to spy movies, which lie at the nexus of the action and thriller genres. Spy movies are appealing in part because these charming, good-looking government employees live by their wits and gut reactions to make split-second decisions that are best for the spy and the government. But a spy is only as good as the villain; otherwise, it wouldn’t be challenging or fun. So, the final ingredient for the movie choices in this chapter is that many of them refer to actual chemical weapons, which grounds them in the real world. The audience knows these weapons are dangerous and can be misused by the wrong person. Only about 70 chemical compounds have been put to use during military conflicts over the past century, and they are classified based on their effects. Asphyxiating and blistering agents were created for WWI (1914–1918); nerve agents were developed for WWII (1940–1945) but never used in that war; napalm was also created for WWII but it generated public comment only when used in the Vietnam War; nonlethal psychedelics were tested extensively during the 1950s but haven’t been documented as having been used yet; herbicides and tear gas were used tactically during the Vietnam War.