You all seem to be forgetting that it wasn't just Americans who were worried about Russia. It was all Western freedom loving people in many countries and many other people in Asian countries. In other words, "It wasn't Russia vs America". It was "Creeping communism against the world"
American politics was not about preventing a nuclear attack on US soil by Russia. It was about preventing the creeping communism from spreading to to third world nations. Which at face value is a very noble thing. Because the only way that socialism and communism can work is for EVERYONE to volunteer and give all their labor and property to the state and that IS IMPOSSIBLE! The only way it can work is for the government TAKE BY FORCE and make criminals out of the people. Socialism leads to Communism leads to Totalitarianism leads to Slavery leads to Revolution!