From fearing the strong to fearing the weak

When I was growing up, Americans and Europeans used to be concerned about the strength of their potential enemies. Russia, China were feared for their ability to fight us in a conventional and nuclear war. Now, surprisingly we worry about weakness of our enemies, we worry about failed states. Who would have said in the 80s that the biggest worries of USA and UE now would have been countries like Yemen or Afghanistan?

• International