American Individualism by Herbert Hoover We have witnessed in
this last eight years the spread of revolution over one-third of
the world. The causes of these explosions lie at far greater
depths than the failure of governments in war. The war itself in
its last stages was a conflict of social philosophies-but beyond
this the causes of social explosion lay in the great
inequalities and injustices of centuries flogged beyond
endurance by the conflict and freed from restraint by the
destruction of war. The urgent forces which drive human society
have been plunged into a terrible furnace. Great theories spun
by dreamers to remedy the pressing human ills have come to the
front of men's minds. Great formulas came into life that
promised to dissolve all trouble. Great masses of people have
flocked to their banners in hopes born of misery and suffering.
Nor has this great social ferment been confined to those nations
that have burned with revolutions. Now, as the storm of war, of
revolution and of emotion subsides th