President Donald Trump recently ordered the U.S. to resume testing of its nuclear weapons, which it discontinued in 1992. It comes quickly in response to Russia’s testing of a nuclear-powered underwater drone (aka the Poseidon). These are alarming and dispiriting developments. Testing such weapons serves more than one purpose. Indeed, “testing” is more of a euphemism for reckless saber-rattling. The timing here is important, as Trump’s decision also came just before Trump was set to sit down with China’s leader, Xi Jinping. Tensions between these two countries have been rising as a roller coaster of a trade war goes on, and China continues to flex its proverbial muscles over Taiwan and the important sea lanes abutting its…

