How to Stop a Nuclear War

Exposing Over 80 Years of Profiteering, Lies, and Cold War Paranoia

A Film by Paul Jay
Narrated by Emma Thompson
Based on Daniel Ellsberg’s “The Doomsday Machine”
Coming Fall 2027

The Mission

The danger of nuclear war is real, immediate, and greater than ever. The risk of accident or miscalculation is far from zero. We are in the midst of an unmitigated nuclear weapons and AI arms race that threatens the apocalypse. Yet we are barely talking about it. Why are we taking no meaningful measures to reduce the risk?

How to Stop a Nuclear War exposes over 80 years of profiteering, lies, and Cold War paranoia that continues today. Based on Daniel Ellsberg’s book “Doomsday Machine,” and narrated by Emma Thompson, the film will spur a new movement to stop the madness.

Why This Matters Now

The Nuclear Threat Is Built Into the System

Nuclear war isn’t just a risk of miscalculation — it’s the product of 80 years of profiteering and false threats. Daniel Ellsberg showed how elites built a “Doomsday Machine” where profit and power mattered more than human survival. The mythology of the Cold War still shapes today’s world, exaggerating threats to justify ever more spending on nuclear and other weapons.

Missile Defense Is a Dangerous Fraud

From the Cold War “missile gap” to Reagan’s Star Wars to today’s AI “Iron Dome,” defense contractors have sold the impossible: a shield that can stop nuclear weapons. The result is the same every time — billions in profits, zero real protection, and an even greater risk of war.

Public Pressure Has Stopped Nuclear War Before

History shows that protest and public outrage matter. The test ban treaty, the freeze movement of the 1980s, and mass opposition to Nixon’s nuclear threats in Vietnam all proved that organized resistance can stop leaders from pressing the button.