ABSTRACT
World War II ended with tens of millions of deaths, many more millions physically incapacitated and mentally distressed, and trillions of dollars in economic and environmental damage. The world’s nations split into political, ideological, and geographically clustered groups and engaged in political, economic, and military confrontations. Notwithstanding the Korean, Vietnam, and Cold wars, and domestic challenges, the United States quickly redirected its enormous resources and energies into more domestic wealth and consumption.
