Jim and Mark,

Sound remarks about domestic upheavals.

Parallel to these, it should be added that internal strife has declined as US foreign interventions have increased. From Teddy Roosevelt forward, whenever domestic strain builds, there just happens to be an urgent matter somewhere else that needs patriotic attention to our "national interests".

The only point here is that it doesn't address what causes the internal strife. A populace that gets what it wants is obviously not going to be full of strife. It seems to me, what needs to be addressed is the issue(s) that are causing the strife. In the case of both the Civil War and the Vietnam War it was economic in nature. In the Civil War it was the difference that abolishing slavery would have caused to the plantation systems in teh south and the industrial systems in the north. The Vietnam case is a little(!) more complicated in that we may still be historicaly too close to it to get a clear picture of the cause/effects. However, I do believe that the failure of the industrial - military - political machine to provide the kinds of freedoms and inexpensive life that people were expecting may have played a major role in the events of the 60's.

Soothing, addictive, social and economic bribes flow from warmaking -- industrial growth, jobs, education, research, technological advances.

I think we all agree the political - military complex is run by back scratching of herculian proportions. This may be a little difficult to analyze because it is involved in both the cause and the result in such a major way.

A bitching citizenry is a happy citizenry where domestic Government affairs are concerned, but the most obedient people are those united against a foreign foe. Lesson 1 of world affairs leadership.

Lesson 2 should be that the 'external' threat won't last forever and at some point the real issues will blow up to such an extent that the poplace will not be concerned about external events because they are so busy trying to stay alive and make a living.