The Japanese had been at War for years, were prepared to die defending their homeland, and were making daily sacrifices, running their trucks on pine-root fuels.
Our media and "Leaders" tell us that the WOT is a bumper sticker, give aid and comfort to the Enemy, and publish their propaganda. The People are managed by bread and circuses, and are vitally interested in reality TV, and online porn and gaming.
That said, however, I am encouraged by liberals I know who had an epiphany on 9-11, and joined us at the Range on 9-12. I do not consider it hopeless.
We just need to "Awaken the sleeping giant", and this will be accomplished by such an attack.
What follows will make the "Enemy alien" Japanese "resorts" look like a Brownies' picnic, whether the Goverment is involved or not.
When the opium dream of socialism, drumming circles, and kumbaya Sings collapses, people revert quickly. Had I not seen it with these "hopeless" people I know, I would not be so encouraged. One had to take her website down, because she transformed it into such a vicious anti-muslim site she was getting daily death threats and hacks. This made her really mad. She remains mad. She will kill if she has to.
But, if something happens to destroy that structure, which is as weak as a reed, then the breakdown of society occurs and it becomes every man for himself. Andrew was an indicator, Katrina even more so.
Building a thermonuclear explosive is difficult, but cookbook stuff. All the theory has been done, all the R&D work is finished. that is not what worries me. The small gun-type(Little Boy) is much easier to build and execute, however this is a very heavy explosive and ground deliverable. Depending on the amoount of fissile material, a small 3-5kT detonation is possible.