k I just thought of this! Now bear with me, the US (as far as I can tell from what I've read and not what I've watched) was and has been build from recovering from adversity. First you had the Brits (we still do in a parliamentary minimal way), then you had the abolishionists, then you had the Spanish, then you had the Haitians (non-reported/discussed military trauma), then you had the comunists, then you had the Vietnamiese (not sure if I can label them as the same socialists that threatened 1930's America), then you had the [insert asshole that didn't do as we you said from the 80's), followed by of course the leader of Iraq, which was followed again (and excuse the run on sentence) the leader of Iraq, 'till now which seems to comprise a collection of assholes spread all over the non-free trade world (excuse the ending of that sentence I had no other way of describing it without sounding like an Air America fanboy).
As far as I can tell your country has become the better after each and every threat. And <--- yes this sentence required beginning with a conjunction -- after each and every struggle your country had become better! Yeah!!!
The bonus is that everytime this even of importance has occured Canada has benefited
Go USA!