"Jay Honeck" wrote in message

Which leaves us back with Mutual Assured Destruction as our only viable
"defense"... :-(

Not really. World is a very different place now than then A) Russia is
*not* the Soviet Union. B) Russia can't even come close to affording the
hint of an arms race. They are effectively bankrupt, but for the good
graces of a variety of western countries and lenders. C) The whole world
knows they are bankrupt and impotent, unlike the scenario through the 70s
and 80s, when they effectively bluffed the world. That was the simple
genius of RR's policy re USSR. He knew in his gut that they were finished,
and he called their bluff.

This latest probably relates as much to their domestic politics (election)
as it does to the world chessboard.