Why do people make such nasty threads that they know are going to have the community turning on itself?

Well, America is several times over the most powerful military nation on the planet. Eight years of Obama lulled people into this impression that the US was weak and willing to roll over for practically anything (up to and including an apology for America's devastation of Japan following Pearl Harbor).

Maybe this is the reminder people needed? America is a "Fuck your shit up" nation, and I'm curious just how hilariously short any proper war with America would be in the modern age (not that I actually want that to happen).

Quite the opposite actually. The mujahideen appeared as a response to the introduction of progressive policies by the government. Then the government requested military support from the USSR.

Russia is still a very powerful regional power and it's influence stretches over a number of geopolitical hotspots.

My lord, has there ever been a less productive or useful discussion? Why are you all devoting so much time, effort, and emotion into this thread?

The world was fucked up loooong before the ol' US of A had serious foreign policy interests beyond the Americas; if anything, the era of American Hegemony has seen comparatively few large-scale wars, not an increase in them.

Of course the USA is a bigger threat to global peace than North Korea, but I'd say the same for Russia, China, and quite a few more countries as North Korea is not a GLOBAL threat. They're an incredibly serious threat to their nearby neighbors (especially given the nature of South Korea with almost all of its population and GDP output residing in Seoul alone), but obviously they lack even a 1/10th the destructive capabilities of the USA.

It's akin to saying the biggest kid at recess is a greater risk to those around him than the angry toddler that just shit himself in the sandbox; obviously that's true, but it doesn't mean said big kid is going to attack everyone.

Seriously though, stop turning on one another as that's exactly what this quoted asshat wanted. I'd encourage you to go look through all of history's superpowers as you will find that none participated in less territorial expansion than the US, nor did any actually dedicate enormous resources to providing security across the globe. The USA has obviously done plenty of things that were reckless, stupid, and violent, but so has everyone else.

Basically, chill the heck out people, there's no reason to hate one another because some Russian asshole wanted to distract from the fact that his country has been just about the only one still expanding via military-fueled annexation of foreign lands over the past couple of decades.

To be fair, Obama didn't apologize for the use of nukes or anything, he just simply expressed regret that the war proved so devestating. It's pretty much what I hoped for as we really need to stop finger pointing and holding on to the grudges of people that are either ancient or dead when, otherwise, our countries are getting along excellently today.

Reminding the world that America is a "Fuck your shit up" nation gives people motivation to create and join terrorist groups like ISIS. America is pretty much recruiting its own (and many other countries') terrorists.

That's the problem right there. You are saying this all based on the assumption that the United States are a benevolent country that are just reckless and don't meaningly commit destruction. That's ignoring so many events in the past and present that are on the contrary.

No, not quite. The Soviets overthrew the Republic of Afghanistan, which already introduced progressive policies, because Daud Khan wanted closer relations with the West. The new government implemented unpopular Soviet style economic policies, carried out political purges against civilians and committed atrocities during the Soviet invasion which all contributed to the rise of the insurgents. 

Well, that's obviously true. North Korea is pretty bold, but I doubt it's ever going to launch a full-scale attack on anyone. But the United States performs actual actions again others. I don't think the United States actually wants to start anything big though, so the risk ought to be negligible, but I think it's still bigger than in North Korea's case.