Good point, let me use a different example. Forcing the whole world to take a bioweapon because they had been mesmerized, that was simply a shot across the bow to demonstrate the power of their propaganda.
No, I have found many people assume the world leaders would never drop a nuclear bomb. Sure they lie, sure they are crooks, sure they use lawfare to punish their opponents, and yes they can be viewed as cartel leaders. But surely they would never step across the line to start a nuclear holocaust.
I can picture a Twilight zone episode of a standup comic saying this in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust.