Be afraid. Be very afraid of Russian President Vladimir Putin's latest boast to his Federal Assembly that Russian scientists have come up "a breakthrough in developing new models of strategic weapons" aimed at the United States.

Don't be afraid that he has any intention of using them. Don't even be afraid that most of the weapons he demonstrated through animated simulations are operational.

Be afraid, rather, that armchair Cold Warriors in the United States will shamelessly exploit Putin's speech to justify billions—no, trillions—of dollars in needless spending on a pointless nuclear arms race.