>The Second World War wiped away domestic conflicts in the face of an existential threat, and gave a generation of men so much valor as to put them beyond reproach.
This comment is ignorant of the reality of black military members, both during the war and after.
>This comment is ignorant of the reality of black military members, both during the war and after.
As I mentioned in another comment (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15935787), this is because it was not voluntary problem solving. In the military you follow orders.
Research generally shows that working together voluntarily to solve a common problem, where each side needs the others' skills, really does reduce polarization.
Re:Overcoming Us vs. Them
by TheAdamAndChe on Friday December 15, 2017 @07:23PM
(#15936489)
> This comment is ignorant of the reality of black military members
Sure, but the major internal strife within America in the late 20's wasn't based upon race, but upon economics and inequality. Just because it didn't remove _all_ strife within an entire nation(which will never happen) doesn't mean that it didn't smoothe things over for most Americans.
Or, for that matter, Japanese-American citizens...
Re:Overcoming Us vs. Them
by kwhitefoot on Sunday December 17, 2017 @02:34AM
(#15944678)
It doesn't last. The divisions remain and are simply put on ice for the duration of the greater threat.
Edit: I'm not saying we should go to war to solve our problems. I'm just observing something that is demonstrably true: groups unify in the face of external threats.