The days of defending a nation against an aggressive force are long past us, at least for first world nations
They said exactly the same in 1938. Even earlier, -
Si vis pacem, para bellum ( Publis Flavius Vegetius Renatus - 4th or 5th century AD),
The only thing that changes are the idiots that say there is no threat of war,. when the biggest threat to war is the attitude that no threat exists.