There is no doubt about it. After the Cold War ended, the chance of a
full-scale world-wide nuclear conflagration was diminished.
But on the other hand, the chances of local, tactical use of nuclear
weapons greatly increased.
Civil wars, revolutions, regional disputes...it seems like there is a
new war popping up somewhere every day, and many of them are the result of centuries-old hatred between
different ethnic or religious groups.
These people do not think rationally or logically.
In such conflicts, there is no concern for the high civilian casualty
rate and international criticism means little.