Frankly, while nuclear weapons have always (in my lifetime) posed a threat, I am far more concerned about something far more subtle. The expansion of Communist philosophies, the disregard for the rule of law, the corruption of government in high places (and low), and the proliferation of drug resistant strains of disease are all higher on my list than nuclear war.
In the event some of the new members of the 'Nuclear Club' utilize their weaponry, I would hope that our response would be quick, complete, and prevent any action by those actors ever again. While potentially devastating, such limited conflict would be survivable for the US, so long as we are not engaged in a full-on slugfest with a major power.
Recall, the entire unilateral disarmament/no nukes movement of the 70s was mainly a push to get the US at a disadvantage in terms of strategic weapons, and while Mr. Gorbachev may have 'torn down that wall', declaring Communism dead has only ensured its unmitigated proliferation, even here at home.
So, no, I still don't see the existence of nuclear weapons as a threat, in and of itself. Only bad policy and poor decision making will make that so.
