To cros the nuclear threshold by a great power places whole populations at some degree of involved in and brings back the theoretical argument as to whether nuclear exchanges could be controlled. One favorable aspect is that the Cold War was a truly ideological conflict. The current evolving NaTO-Russian confrontation is much less of a true ideological conflict. Strategic nuclear strikes over Russian opposition to gay marriage and normalizing transgressive sex would to be taking things a bit far.
As the guys at the Duran always say - the neocons have no reverse gear.
They ALWAYS double and triple down, and after they create their mess and fail, they move on to the next plot, secure in their positions and buffoonery.