system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
CMV:Nuclear weapons are the only thing keeping the world from going to complete hell

With how close the world has come to annihilating itself because of leaders who've been a bit trigger happy (Cuban Missile Crisis) I truly believe nukes are pretty much the only reason the world isn't in major conflict right now.

The Cold War for example. If the US and the Soviets didn't have their nuclear arsenal, what reason would Stalin, Khrushchev, etc have for NOT invading the rest of Europe? They could've easily done so and not much the US could've done to stop them. 

Our greatest and most terrifying weapons are pretty much our salvation and force us to cooperate even if we don't like each other.
gpt
This type of reasoning is in line with the military strategy known as mutually assured destruction(MAD).

There are numerous assumptions this relies on that should not be taken for granted.

**Second Strike Capability:** The first strike cannot render the second, retaliatory strike impossible. Say, during the Cold War, the Soviets launched their nuke at the American base in Turkey before they could react. This action would render the American nuke useless and would give them full reign over Europe.

**Perfect Detection:** This is somewhat similar to the last one. If the Soviets had devised an ingenious method to deploy their nuke without being detected, they would have had a clear advantage. Without detection capabilities, it is impossible for a retaliatory nuke to retaliate.

**Perfect Rationality:** You are assuming that all actors are rational and that they realize that launching a nuke would cause their own demise. All it would take is one irrational dictator of an oppressive regime to get his hands on nuclear weapons to render the Nash equilibrium obtained by MAD useless(North Korea anyone?).

**Inability to Defend:** Finally, you are assuming that the impacted countries have no ability to defend and survive a nuclear war. Even if heavy losses are sustained on both sides, you cannot underestimate the human condition.