Well, on this last point, we also are missing a ton of other inportant bits of information regarding divorce rates. Namely, the age of the people and the legnth of the marriages. My guess is that the majority of people still married or not divorced are old folks who are still married or widowed and people who have been married less than three years.
Regarding the larger points you addresed, society has changed a lot since our fuedalistic cultural family-joining-marriages. Marriage, for a LOT of Americans, has become tradition. The next step after 'going steady.' Personally I see no reason why we can't evolve past our previous social conceptions. Heck, back then women were wenches who worked in houses and slavery was just something that happened when you lost a battle.
Old men, fear me! You will shatter under my ruthless apathetic assault!
Uschi - 2 Old Men - 0
"I am convinced that this world is of no importance, and that the only people who care about dates are imbeciles and Spanish teachers." -- Jean Arp, 1921
"If Jesus came back and saw what people are doing in his name, he would never never stop throwing up." - Max von Sydow, "Hannah and Her Sisters"
