Don't underestimate the power of demogogues.   " 54-40 or Fight" was not over a pig. Kevin, you may not understand the appeal of militarism in the US.   After all, the largest group of our presidents trace their ancestry to the Scottish-English border in the 16th century: violence as a way of solving problems. It paid off at the ballot box.   Still does--see GWB.

And people wind up in a political campaign being pressured in directions they may not want to go--and find they cannot back away. I have read Madison did not want to start the War of 1812. But it sure happened. And the start was a surprise--to the American military--when it did.

Pacifism was an also-ran in the US--at least until the 20th century.   And though the US did not want to get involved in what was seen as European quarrels, if we felt personally threatened, as military response was always close to the surface.


But it's much too glorious a day now to spend more time on this.

More later.