briann: "...how will Americans react after we are nuked?..."
briann,
If, (G-d forbid), a nuclear detonation (not a dirty bomb) should occur in any one of our metropolitan areas (NY, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, LA, Boston, etc.), the country will come to a complete halt; all phases of life which we take for granted each day will no longer exist; the time perod until "normal civilized life" is restored could be weeks, a year or more, or never.
The emergency medical facilities required to treat hundreds of thousands of burn victims, trauma victims, and radioactivity poisoning will be rendered null and void.
Transportation of all types will quickly grind to a halt, ending food and fuel supplies.
Depending on the size and locations of such an attack, life may immediately be reduced to a 19th Century standard of living, complete with epidemics, and lacking most modern amenities.
There are those who believe that such an event will "galvanize" Americans into one united country and people bent on revenge against the perpetrators, but I myself am not one of them.
I believe that Americans are today too spoiled, too undeducated, too materialistic and selfish, not to mention too stoned on drugs or alcohol, to recover in any way from such a nightmare scenario.
Martial law declaration, hysteria, chaos leading to death, disease, & famine would result, with looting, rioting, violence.
I do expect that wild and unsubstantiated accusations of guilt will split the social fabric even further, by claiming that "the Jews did it / the Zionists did it / Bush did it / the Liberals did it / the Neo-Cons did it.....you get the picture, I'm sure.
Sorry to be the naysayer, but I have learned that in most cases, "what you see is what you get".
So just take a good look around at the current state of domestic life, and multiply the problems by a hundred million or more--that is what to expect.
Each and every time I've heard Americans state that "Maybe that's what this country needs to finally make us come together, etc...", the voices which are speaking are those totally ignorant of the immediate and long-term effects of a nuclear detonation.
A most uncomfortable thought recurs...Two "mickey mouse" sized nuclear bombs made the most frenzied warrior empire, complete with suicide dive bombers, stop dead in their tracks, throw their hands up, and beg to be allowed to make unconditional surrender.
Our enemies worldwide are working day and night to set off nukes inside our country, but America, playing "the good guy" waits and waits in the false belief that we can "win the hearts and minds" of the Muslim world.
In short, the fact that we have not yet nuked them off the map, guarantees that we ourselves will be attacked by them; just as soon as they are ready.
Our failure to have not already ended this "War on Terror" with all available means, is a portense of great tragedy ahead for America.