A constant barrage of images that might lead us to believe we are nearing the end. The end of life as we know it. The end of life. The end.

We are not isolationists. Nor are we isolated. Should Putin decide to launch one at us, it will kill many Americans. And that is just the first round. Should any survive, there will be years of agony from the radioactive damage.

One need only look to Japan to understand nuclear devastation. And while the Japanese have survived, they were also defeated with a single nuclear attack. There was no counter strike.

Now consider the probability of a nuclear war with Russia. None of us has seen a nuclear winter, but it should scare the hell out of you. Do not be arrogant enough to assume that somehow our nuclear weapons are superior. Or that our fighting forces are stronger. We are all human and in the end it will be our human frailties that will defeat us.

The first rule of survival: never get into a fight with someone with nothing to lose. Putin’s Russia has much to lose, but in his delusional state of grandiosity he feels no vulnerability. So we must rationally weigh our options and consider that the deterrent of mutually assured destruction will not factor into Putin’s decisions.

We want to help Ukraine. We want to be a force for good in the world. But the idea that we can help Ukraine by destroying ourselves is its own insanity.

Putin will flex. Putin will threaten us. And we must assume that he will contemplate the unthinkable. And we must assume that his idea of destiny will lead him toward a reckless path. We must call his reckless and raise with rational. And hope the bad beat favors the brave.