Over the past few days in France I have spoken to many people who profoundly fear for the future of Western democracy.

In belligerent, warmongering language, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah last week threatened to attack the Mediterranean island of Cyprus — a European nation — if it opened its military bases to Israel.

On paper, Iran and Russia are crushed under a mountain of sanctions that grows daily. In reality, rogue states are running rings around enforcement efforts, prompting questions about whether Western leaders are serious about implementing their own policies.

India’s lengthy voting process, one of the most polarizing and divisive rounds of elections in modern times, will come to an end with the declaration of results on Tuesday.

In Britain, America and much of the Western world, there has been much nervous talk about the “Muslim vote.”

While the tit-for-tat exchange between Israel and Iran has fundamentally altered strategic calculations about regional security, it is just starting to dawn on the world how much more dangerous the situation would be if both sides possessed nuclear weapons.