Reply #19: Insane leaders have always been a concern

[daleo]

So far we have had Stalin and Nixon, each of whom was pretty near certifiable at times. Thatcher was pretty nuts, Reagan was verging on senile, and Mao might not have been all there at times.

I wonder if a leader really can order a nuclear strike all on his own, or if others in the command chain have some kind of practical override?

I guess we have to hope for the best. I agree with you about both Bush and Kim Jong.