I read it less as a "yes, but" and more as a "yes, and"... as in "yes... and look at how different things are today". It's unclear why you would want to try to steer the thread in that direction.
I think (s)he's pointing out that Japan/Germany found few "useful idiots" here in the states to fight their battles for them... but that there is no shortage today.
The nay sayers of which this country has many need to read this and then crawl back into their holes and know that we know who they are and where they live.