The bottom line: frightened by Ronald Reagan, whom they thought was planning a first strike (justifiably, as it turns out, even though he didn't have any such intentions), a project called Perimeter was implemented not to deter foreign powers (they didn't tell anybody) but to appease potentially trigger-happy hard-liners. The idea is the following: if there is a situation where it appears that Russia is about to get bombed, they can activate Dead Hand and relax. If it is just malfunctioning equipment, then everybody is safe. If it is, in fact, a first strike, then they are safe in the knowledge that the US, too, will be enveloped in a radioactive firestorm. Therefore the incentive is to not launch a counterattack at what may be a flock of geese flying in front of a radar installation (something that has happened).
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Salted bombs are awesome...but sadly not real. Also Reagan's SDI program was designed to cover both the US and the USSR from any missile attack, and thus obselete the nuclear weapon so both sides could disarm permanently. Which was certainly not anything Herman Kahn would have supported. Those wired guys need to read up on their Cold War nuclear game theories.
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