The threat is mightier than the sword. The U.S. could have spent the past year massing troops and equipment in Poland and Germany, etc., threatening to push Russia out of Ukraine.

I personally don't want to test it. But it WILL be tested, is being tested. And right now the test is saying that if you have nukes you can invade what you want.

It's not that I believe Putin is bluffing, but I don't believe he would launch them against the U.S., only use them over Ukraine. And if he did, the problem isn't the use of them, per se, but what they'd prove to even the densest of Westerners--Americans have become cowards (to put it bluntly).

Would the U.S. then sink the Russian fleet? I don't think Biden is bluffing there either, but now it's Putin's turn to not want to face unpleasant truths.

The nuke issue provides everyone cover to avoid talking about the real issues.