What choice with 80% of Americans not seeing the danger? If Washington moves to eliminate the danger without being hit hard first, Congress won't fund the effort, not even a dollar. If Washington waits until the Pearl Harbor scenario, then 80% will move past anxiety and into fear and then it is time for action.
Millions shouldn't die because 80% of Americans are morons.
This is the proverbial "perp in a dark alley going for his waistband..." Shoot first, ask questions later.
Not a policy for general application, but it applies here quite well.
Two other problems with waiting for Pearl Harbor:
1) The weapons involved are more powerful - a nuke in a civilian area means tens of thousands dead in a blink of an eye. FDR could, in a sense, afford to trade Pearl Harbor, a military target, for entry into the war - assuming he knew what was coming; and
2) The modern media would have the President impeached and convicted within 30 minutes or so if it came out that the government had evidence of a possible nuclear attack and chose to do nothing about it. And, it's not like Iran and NK are hiding their intentions.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I'd rather do...