How fucked up is our world? Look no further than Mutual assured destruction (MAD)

This is nothing new, really, but the basic idea goes as follows: As long as a hostile action by one party (country) can be met by equal or greater force (either right away, or as a second strike) by the target, leading to a bilateral escalation resulting ultimately in complete destruction of both parties, this initial hostile action will not take place. (see “Cold War”).

Talk about incentive. At some point in the future (or the past), the reason for being at peace will become peace itself (or was?), in the meantime, death is a good deterrent.

MADness does not, however, take one scenario into consideration. What if your enemy relishes, nay, PRAYS FOR, mutual assured destruction? Where do suicide bombers figure into this equation? They don’t, obviously. They want to kill us, and they also want to die (you know, 82 virgins and all that)…

Yup. we’re fucked.