[ansel12]

Bull, just what is going on in the world that suddenly makes Russia want to create a nuclear war?

Seriously, what is this end of the world happening that I am missing that while Russia was not stupid enough for WWIII, during the Cold War as millions died in wars around the world, and that finally resulted in their total defeat and end of empire, that suddenly now, something is going on somewhere, that is so big, that Russia has to destroy itself in a blaze of nuclear fire?

[Sawdring]

You don't think Russia has been threatening nuclear war for the last six months? You just got done breaking down how weak Russia is conventionally. If her core strategic interests are threatened there is no telling what they will do.

One of my favorite books was Herman Kahn's, "On Escalation: Metaphors & Scenarios." He outlines an escalation ladder on the different ways a nuclear conflict could be fought.