When I first saw this question, I immediately thought “yes”. The answer is yes we are destined for a nuclear attack.  Then I paused and asked myself why I believed that strongly enough to answer so quickly.  Why indeed?

My mind naturally turned first to Muslim Extremists.  They call us the “Great Satan”.  They point to us as morally bankrupt.  They say we export this bankruptcy to the rest of the world while propping up Zionism in their midst.  They say Israel must be obliterated from the face of the earth and we are her strongest supporter.  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran, firmly believes that he must prepare the way for the 12^th Imam.  He also believes Israel must be eliminated.  He is continuing a nuclear enrichment program with the assistance of Russia and others in the face of UN resolutions to shut down his operations in these areas.  He is not afraid and he is not crazy.  The reason he is not afraid is because he can read the signs of the times.  Those nations that do not outright hate us have at least lost respect for us.  Many nations in the world are now wondering what it would look like if we were not around to police it.

The suicide bomber is willing to give his or her life to advance the cause of the destruction of Israel and all infidels.  This same passion can logically be attributed to the larger body of men and women that are working toward these ends on all levels.  In other words, they are committed unto death to their cause.  They are religiously fueled by their interpretation of the absolute commands given to them by their god, Allah.  It is fairly obvious that if a person is willing to die for their cause that nothing less than the achievement of their goal will satisfy them.  No amount of negotiation, no amount of appeasement will ever be enough.  The only option that kind of enemy leaves one is to kill it.

Enter the other world super powers, Russia and China and all her young.  These nations have no love for us.  They, in fact, would profit if the US were crippled or eliminated.  As we have already pointed out, Russia is on friendly terms with Iran and several other Middle Eastern nations.  Many of their former satellites were Muslim and so it is not like they are operating in a vacuum diplomatically speaking.  They have a long and broad history with the Muslim nations.  With these nations and others as a base for extremism, Russia has little problem logistically and technically supporting them.  There is no need to have direct contact with the terrorists or their camps as long as governments like Iran’s are around.  So, in essence, the Russians can use these extremists to advance a global agenda without getting their hands dirty. In a game of chess, if the pawns can wear down the protection around the King, then he is an easy pick for the queen when she moves in.  The Russians understand the commitment and fervor the extremists bring to the table.  They were taught that lesson in Afghanistan in the 1980’s.  Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. 

Combine this with George Bush’s reaction after 9/11.  He said we were going to make sure that the people who knocked down our buildings heard us.  Well, did they?  I say no.  I say they saw what kind of reaction they got from us and laughed.  We all applauded when we invaded Afghanistan; there was little doubt that that nation harbored terrorist facilities.  But the left turn into Iraq was a massive strategic blunder.  If you believe the story of why we invaded (WMD), then at best our intelligence was faulty.  If you do not believe the story, then only one other conclusion can come to you.  We were nation building.  The invasion of Iraq placed us smack in the Middle East and gave us breathing room that Israel could not.  A hedge against Arab unity.  The lack of compliance on the part of Saddam with UN resolutions and the atrocities he committed notwithstanding, the invasion of that nation under the pretext of it being a threat to the free world was a farce.  Saddam’s atrocities had been chronicled for years and he was not harboring terrorists or weapons of mass destruction. 

The Muslims laughed.  We used all our might and misdirected it.  While we mired most of our military apparatus and our resources down in Iraq, the terrorists found new safe havens from us and time to make new plans against us.  They also were able to measure our might.  Watching what we were doing in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Seeing what happens when we stretch ourselves thin logistically.  They were paying attention to our diplomacy during this time period as well.  Seeing what was and was not important to us.  Learning who our friends were and who was turning away.  And they were forging new alliances based on this new information. 

So, while we expended ourselves in conflict not directed at the terrorists, they entrenched anew and made their plans, and their alliances.  While we exposed our weaknesses to the rest of the world they measured and sifted us and found us wanting.  So, if I were Russia, what would I think?  America has 2 armed conflicts she is engaged in simultaneously.  She has a military presence in 138 nations, extending her strength even thinner.  She is staggering under financial mismanagement and that could translate into a weaker military. She is juggling North Korea’s threat as well.  And she also has to worry about the Chinese giant having awakened, at least in the arena of global finances. She is divided within herself like never before.  Her attention is diverted, if you will.  She has a navy scattered all over the planet.  Yet, in spite of all this and more, she is arrogant.  She thinks she is invincible.  She thinks she cannot be invaded.  She thinks her former glory is still with her.  But it is not.  Now is the time for me to strike.

Here is only one scenario for you.  I, as a major world power tempted to bring about the destruction of the USA, watch as the extremists sneak in across their borders and link up with cells already in place for years.  I build my diplomatic relations with nations friendly to these extremists while keeping my hands clean.  Through diplomacy and trade I eventually learn that the time is near for the extremists to set off one or two or even a half dozen dirty bombs.  I position my Submarine platforms off the coasts of America and wait.  At the right time, when chaos ensues because of a few dirty bombs, I lob my missiles into the country.  It only takes them 3 minutes to strike.  Little or no time for retaliation.  Little or no infrastructure left to retaliate with.  And the invasion of the Middle East oilfields is on!

If you think this is unrealistic, decide for yourself what you would do if even a half dozen cities were destroyed simultaneously in this nation.  All internet and cell phone capability would be disrupted.  The Government of the US down to local governments would be disabled.  Who would be in charge?  Who would listen to that authority in such a time?  If the power grids are disrupted how will you function?  If your sewer and water were not working, if you had little or no light at night, if you could not do but a few of the hundreds of things you take for granted right now, what would you do?

The mighty Roman Empire, it is said, fell from within.  But a large part of her destruction happened from the barbarians that continuously nibbled away at her borders.  So, a long decline was the lot of the Roman Empire.  It did not dominate the world but only for a brief period in its history.  So it is with America.  It does not have to be black or white, all or nothing.  This nation can still exist but be on life support.  Then the rest of the world could quite simply ignore the remnant of a once great nation, and we could do nothing about it.