Some of you may have heard of the cold war policy/theory; MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) Which means assumes that each side has enough weaponry to destroy the other side and that either side, if attacked for any reason by the other, would retaliate with equal or greater force. The expected result is an immediate escalation resulting in both combatants' total and assured destruction. It is now generally assumed that the nuclear fallout or nuclear winter would bring about worldwide devastation (Wikipedia.com)
Some people view this as a no longer relevant policy and that due to recent easing of diplomatic relations with such nations as the former USSR, this policy should be re-examined.
However I believe that this theory still holds strong by keeping rational thinking leaders from becoming quick to anger.
Although this theory IMO falls flat in relations with such countries as North Korea, Iran,Lybia…[and terrorists cells] because of the fundamentally driven government, or strong anti US and irrational thinking, such countries as Iran; could as easily declare an Islamic Jihad and give a care less to whether they survive, just as long as they take out the "evil" US. Others such as North Korea, not being as fundamentally/religiously driven in their anti-us views, still are uber-anti usa, and wouldn’t [IMO] care.