Mutual assured destruction --- The Cold War and the possibility that there would finally be a mutual assured destruction between the two ideological blocs through nuclear weapons, made the great powers avoid a direct confrontation at all costs. This situation continued to this day, which is why economic sanctions represent a quite viable option instead of wars. In the end, wars are fought when the instruments of diplomacy failed, including sanctions.

Source author: Ricardo Daniel Delgado Muñoz rdelgado@sre.gob.mx