mutually assured destruction
Basically a Mexican standoff between prominent countries that possess nuclear weapons and have different polictical agendas. Causes the entire world to be gripped in a sort of doomsday fatalism. Also results in peace talks to boil down to a pissing match in which each side takes a "I'll-throw-down-my-gun-if-you-throw-down-your-gun-first" attitude.
In "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" the apes may have survived if they had thier own nukes. The mutant humans wouldn't have used thier nuke because of fear of mutually assured destruction. Which didn't matter anyway, because they all ended up dead, like a bunch of pork rinds.
mutually assured destruction by Pigeon McNugget October 8, 2003
Get the mutually assured destruction mug.