Consensus: "Axis of Evil" protecting themselves from US aggression.
With a demonstrated willingness to "preemptively" invade a helpless country, the US may well have brought upon itself what it feared.
Iran and North Korea may well feel forced to spend money on nukes rather than attempt to resist an invasion from the US.
In reality, only Iran would have to fear one. It has oil. And Russia and China would probably frown on an invasion of North Korea.
Given the propensity of Bush & Co. to talk tough and mean rather than be effective, they may well have frightened these countries into developing the only really effective deterrent to overwhelming conventional military power.
Arf