mutual assured destruction
nounEtymology
A pun on "assured destruction" ("a highly reliable ability to inflict unacceptable damage ... even after absorbing a surprise first strike"), a term used in discussions of American nuclear strategy in the 1960s. Perhaps coined by Donald Brennan, conservative defense analyst and a public critic of the policy.
Definitions
The threat of massive retaliation using nuclear weapons should a potential enemy use them…
The threat of massive retaliation using nuclear weapons should a potential enemy use them first, both sides being annihilated in the event of war.
The neighborhood
Vish — recursive loop
No curated loop yet for mutual assured destruction. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA