Throughout the second half of the Twentieth Century, Americans were concerned with the possibility that the USSR would rain nuclear devastation upon their land. In response, a wave of nationalism spread over that population as the country invested in its military. American nationalism manifested itself in patriotism at home and an aggressive foreign policy abroad. At the same time colonized countries took the opportunity to distance themselves from their colonizers. They sought to redefine themselves for the modern era amidst a global war, perhaps the largest ever seen on this planet. Also in World War II, the most powerful physical weapon ever devised, the atomic bomb, was deployed. This gave states seeking to gain leverage and thus power over enemies an immensely easy option. The option is to get rid of them in only a few moments. The scariest fact is that this possibility of nuclear war remains just as true today as it was
fifty years ago.