[supermanfan]

I have studied the Cold War and SDI ("Star Wars".)

Russian and US leaders thought that MAD was idiotic - that defending your country against your adversaries was of the highest importance, not retaliating after your capital was in ashes.

That was the motivation for the Moscow ABM ring (still exists) and SDI (the ABM part worked, the lasers didn't.)

MAD is for policy wonks and technocrats, and is not what leaders rely on.