How Does God Deal With Rebellious Nations?

What will God do when a nation, like the U.S., is in full-roar rebellion against Him? According to the Old Testament, sometimes he works mass repentance (Jonah). Other times He ends a lot of people's lives (Nahum). Jonah and Nahum were written about the same city, just a generation apart. Repentance is infinitely better, and the second solution is one that no Christian should want. But God's second solution has the effect of evening the odds, and sobering up the living. Kiss the Son, ye nations, lest He become angry and ye perish in the way! (Psalm 2)