As the war in Ukraine continues, muddied by the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic Sea, it is startling how few people mention — much less sound the alarm about — a possible thermonuclear war. Why isn’t this the number one topic of conversation?

The United States has pitted itself against Russia, an old enemy with a large nuclear arsenal, and Vladimir Putin, its tyrant, has point blank stated that he will use nukes if Russian territory is attacked.

While this might seem a moment for diplomacy, that’s not what I’m hearing.

What I am hearing is that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services “is buying $290 million worth of anti-radiation sickness drugs as part of its ‘long-standing, ongoing efforts to be better prepared to save lives following radiological and nuclear emergencies.’”

Nicely worded . . . to discourage panic.

But we would have to be morons not to wonder whether some parts of government are perceiving an increasingly likely outcome of policies initiated by other parts of government.

I bring up the notion that government isn’t the unitary thing we often, for convenience, pretend it is. But we know that bureaus and personnel have distinct points of view and gameplans. Indeed, it would be no shock to learn — years hence, if years we have — that the current antagonism is not the result of a concerted, department-crossing plan at State. The fact that expanding NATO was pushed for years, in different administrations, over the warnings of a few Cassandras, and despite the threats of Putin himself.

Meanwhile, HHS is stocking up on over a quarter of a billion bucks’ worth of anti-radiation drugs.

And we’re left here on the sidelines, wondering.

For now.

twv