Commentary
Cynicism about the prospects for human civilization relates directly to our unfortunate propensity to wage war on rival families, tribes, nations, empires or alliances. History often appears to be just one darn battle after another.
Foreign wars are ugly, destructive, and deadly, but within a culturally diverse state, they often improve national solidarity.
G. K. Chesterton once suggested that a patriot fights “not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”
Civil War Produces Enduring Resentments
Civil war is another matter. It’s defined as a violent conflict between opposing factions in the same state and has an entirely different effect on the national psyche….