IMO the biggest threat we face is serious weapons such as 'small nukes' (suitcase nukes don't exist), dirty bombs, etc. being smuggled into our country and then detonated.
No nation-state with any sense of self-preservation is going to launch a first-strike against the U.S. It just ain't gonna happen.
That said, we are far from being free from attack. Our enemies - yes, we do have enemies - are far more likely to put WMD's into the hands of surroates (terrorist groups, etc.) and then let these stateless entities do their dirty-work for them.
IMO the biggest weakness in our defense is the CIA. Given that we are the lone superpower in the world, ALL actions against us will be covert with the tracks carefully covered.
The requirement that our CIA operatives be fluent in English is asinine. We need to identify potential spies from abroad who can not only blend in but can be reasonably relied upon to remain patriotic to this country. We also need to drop some of the PC response to espionage. It's a dirty game, but a critical one nonetheless. At times, expediency will have to trump 'rules'. This is where the middle-ground is crucial. On the one hand, we can't have operatives 100% above the law. We've been there and done that and have reaped what we have sown. By the same token, we can't handcuff our field agents either. In such an aggressive world, a degree of ruthlessness is a necessity. Now, this reality tends to upset the self-righteous, nevertheless I don't give a shit.
Now more than ever, we need a top-flight intelligence organization. The CIA has never even come close. It's failures way overshadow its successes.
What is truly tragic is that this reality has been recognized during the CIA's earliest days. Ike recognized it and he put, too much IMO, faith into the Dulles brothers (Allen as CIA director and Foster as Sec. of State) to pull it off. As ineffective as these 2 were, the agency only became more ineffective post-Dulles.
Personally, I think we are at conflict with ourselves. The secrecy necessary to run and maintain a successful intel agency is at direct conflict with the transparency that our system of governance requires.
What scares me most is the LONG-histrorical trend we are witnessing. Throughout historical warfare, the barbarians have always triumphed ultimately against the civilized.
McCain knows this. He will formulate policy appropriately.
Obama? I don't know.
Best case scenario is that he understands the threat we face and has the 'nads to formulate a responsible policy to deal with this. Furthermore, that he has the courage to shirk the far-left for the betterment of this country. On this front his ball-licking syncophants should help out.
