There’s a lot of talk of madness these days. Pundits speculate about Donald Trump’s mental state. Psychiatrists debate the merits of the Goldwater Rule. Commentators wonder whether presidents should undergo intensive mental health examinations. Keith Olbermann hawks a book called Trump is F*cking Crazy.

The issue of nuclear weapons is a common element in this chatter. Concerns about Trump’s rash behavior and even his grip on reality have sparked more discussions about nuclear war today than any time since the 1980s. Even before the electoral college elevated Trump into office, the topic became grist for one of Hillary Clinton’s most influential quips of the 2016 campaign: “A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons.”

As long as nuclear weapons exist, it’s fair to say that erratic, racist plutocrats shouldn’t be anywhere near the football. But if anything is “mad” it is putting weapons capable of destroying human civilization under the exclusive control of a single individual, keeping them on a hair-trigger alert, and reserving the right to strike first at any moment. Trump did not create this madness. It was there for the taking.