Bobal’s quip went right over your head…”tactical nuke gap”

“There were those of us who fought against it, but in the end we could not keep up with the expense involved in the arms race, the space race, and the peace race. At the same time our people grumbled for more nylons and washing machines. Our doomsday scheme cost us just a small fraction of what we had been spending on defense in a single year. The deciding factor was when we learned that your country was working along similar lines, and we were afraid of a doomsday gap.” — From Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb.