> Given the incalculable risks, one may wonder why nuclear arsenals still exist at all<p>Because everybody is thinking that "if we don't arm ourselves, our adversaries will, and therefore gain the upper hand". That there are risks involved doesn't count, as long as they don't prove to be real (i.e. actually happen). If they prove to be real then we'll have a moratorium of a few years until the default reasoning takes over again.<p>I'm sorry, but I don't think we are capable of breaking out of this "highway to hell".