America is a warrior culture. That would seem to be contrary to the discussion of Thomas Edison, not because he was a pacifist, but because he was a technologist and a businessman. Technology and business are dedicated to pleasing customers and making money, to pursuing happiness. War is about sacrifice and duty. I can say that America is about business. I can also say that America is about making war. The contradiction is real, and it is hard to reconcile. Yet in speaking of the subtlety of the American people, I will argue the two have lived side by side from the beginning.
