Colonel "Bat" Guano, reprimands Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, after the latter compels him to "smoke" the pop machine, with an M-1 carbine.
I love that movie.

I hear you, and certainly, nobody who lived through the constant threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Union, ever wants to return to those days.

A good indication of that, is seen in the most recent Bush administration's decision to cancel a Prompt Global Strike (PGS) weapon, that used the 1st and 2nd stage SRB's from an ICBM.

They did this purely out of concerns, such a PGS launch could be mistaken for a Strategic Nuclear Strike.

That was the right thing to do, it listened to, and addressed the protests of the Russians, and should remind both of us, things really are very different than they were during the Cold War.

{Yep, I know the Obamma administration is reconsidering the ICBM/PGS, but it's just Pentagon pork, and will not see the light of day}

It's important to keep in mind, PGS is intended as a tactical weapon. It's targets will be pretty much the same as bunker busters, JDAMS, and Tomahawks.

Unfortunately, I believe we will continue to have need of such weapons, for quite a while.