Got it.

(1) So you prefer we just settle this this thing mano-a-mano with nukes on both sides! Like real men would do?

(2) Or you have some oracular knowledge that even if the Americans radically escalated by sending many NATO long range missiles into a non-NATO conflict, Russia would sit back and NOT escalate this into a direct Russia-NATO conflict with NATO&Russian boots and civilian casualties on both sides.

(3) Or you have oracular knowledge that even if we DO have a direct war between NATO and Russia with many civilian and military casualties on both sides that the looser wont start using tactical nukes to stem those losses?

We are talking about the END OF THE PLANET here my friend, I think you are being a bit too flip about it all.

I know all about the appeasement arguments, Hitler, blah blah blah. But the reality is that we have not had WWIII in the last 70 years PRECISELY because the world powers have opted for the finding of a middle spot instead of going for broke.

You want to toss that strategy out the window, and replace it with what? Wishful thinking?