Well I agree that being prone to and accepting of violence is "mushy-headed", to say the least. And you're right, the idea that Americans display an unusually high level of this "mushy-headedness" is not original to Ira. It's "common knowledge" not only to American scholars like herself but those outside the US that I've studied with. I first encountered these views and statistics many years ago, at high school and university. That's just how "common" the "knowledge" is in my neck of the woods!

I'd sure like to see scholarly studies/statistics that indicate the opposite is true - that Americans are predisposed historically and culturally towards peace and compromise rather than to war and violence!

Anyway, one thing's clear - it's best to let sleeping Yanks lie! They might shoot ya if they feel too 'rudely awakened'! Like, just ask Spaw eh?

;) daylia