But What Do We Do?1966

Many scientists and engineers who work on military R & D projects became concerned about the contributions of their work to the United States' role in the Vietnam war and the military and industrial organizations that create the capability to wage such a war. BUT WHAT DO WE DO? is the true story of how one engineer became aware of the consequences of his work and grappled with and resolved the growing contradiction between his personal convictions and his work. The role of the engineer is played by the engineer who actually went through the experience described. The film shows how various events affected the engineer's thinking: the news of the war in Vietnam, an introduction to the concept of non-violence by Joan Baez, student demonstrations against military contractors and "peace games" of non-violent civil defense. BUT WHAT DO WE DO? challenges students, engineers and scientists to face up to the moral and political choices they must make when seeking employment, and confronts already-employed engineers and scientists with the necessity of taking responsibility for the consequences of their work.