The failure to teach the responsibility of freedom and democracy as opposed to blind patriotism which has been growing larger and larger since WWII has not led to any significant increase in violence but has brought us to higher and higher levels of aggression in the name of a greater good. Sadly that "good" is also being defined by people who were students of that educational mistake. We are not in a position yet where this trend cannot be turned around, but as time passes and we follow this same course, it becomes unlikely that we will or that we'll even know how.

While it's true that from our earliest history we have used violent means, they were historically and truly the only means available. A new system and a new nation is never formed without violence (as opposed to a nation simply gaining independence). For any new nation to grow, it's growing pains are indeed filled with episodes of violence. But up until lately we understood that the violent methods were only needed to effect the changes and growth. We also, as a country, had no desire or need to force anyone else to come to the party. Our military, although large and often paraded in front of the world, worked from a defensive position unless we responded to repeated requests. We tried to stay out of WWI and we were under great pressure to enjoin WWII well before the Japanese gave us "reason" at Pearl Harbor.

Perhaps it is because we saw what we could do and perhaps it was because our educational and family structures began to change in the post WWII era that patriotism became synonymous with freedom and democracy. Perhaps because we began giving our rights away to corporations and the government for some built in "protections" that the violence became synonymous with aggresion. We are now seeing our own endgame being played out as we turnover more and more in the name of "security"................I dunno'.........

I do know that I am far more concerned about our third world eduational results than I am about any comparison of statistics relating to third world violence. Besides, statistics are such a waste as a method of argument. If 40% of all traffic fatalities involve alchohol, then 60% of all traffic fatalities involve sobriety......the obvious meaning of this is that you have a better chance of avoiding a fatal accident if you're drunk.

Spaw