Quote Originally Posted by TinCow
The problem is that most level-headedness will go the way of the dodo once nuclear warfare erupts.
I don't think so. I think such an exchange will be a tremendous shock to the world system, but it will initially result in a deafening silence of public opinion, followed by frantic attempts to control the damage and prevent further escalation. In the longer term there will be a drift toward authoritarianism, inspired by the sense of doom that will have spread in the wake of the episode.