The Postman Always Rings Twice

How does a nation become a legitimate target for a pre-emptive nuclear strike? By becoming a nuclear power of course. They got away with their lunacy in 1979-1980 because the peanut farmer had the intestinal fortitude of ..., well ..., someone who should have stayed a peanut farmer. (With all due apologies to peanut farmers with guts everywhere.) Now they are raising the stakes and when the bets are called they'll be holding aces and eights.