[The following essay was published in the excellent magazine Communicating Vessels, # 16, Spring 2005. (3527 NE 15th Avenue # 127, Portland, Oregon 97212, USA). Other issues include:

Lesser Evilism (# 11)

Nationalism, Social Identity and Internationalism (# 12)

A Community of Laborers or A Human Community (# 13)

Caught Between Two Worlds (# 14)

Germany’s Unknown Revolution of 1918-20 (# 15) ]

If…we cast a glance over the World’s-History generally, we see a vast picture of changes and transactions; of infinitely manifold forms of peoples, states, individuals, in unresting succession…
On every hand there is the motliest throng of events drawing us within the circle of its interest, and when one combination vanishes another immediately appears in its place.

GWF Hegel, The Philosophy of History, 1820