One thing that worries me particularly about the current situation is how calculating Putin is, and how little regard he has for the US. He expected us to just

One thing that worries me particularly about the current situation is how calculating Putin is, and how little regard he has for the US. He expected us to just knuckle under and take it when he invaded Ukraine, like we have done in the past. So, what does he think about our resolve to use nuclear weapons? MAD only works as a deterrent if everyone is convinced the other side will follow through. Nuclear weapons are such a terrible weapon, I personally believe some politicians would not have the courage (or insanity) to push the button when they must, if they think the game is already lost either way. Maybe Putin thinks he can use nukes as long as they don't hit someone in NATO. I don't know what goes through his mind, but I do know that nuclear weapons are just about the one single thing humanity has ever created that is unambiguously evil. If they are ever used again (and I expect eventually they will be), I hope whomever lives through the experience has the courage to eliminate any remaining ones through whatever means necessary, and then institutes monitoring sufficient to prevent them ever being created again.