And your view and my view of the deaths in the Civil War being essential may just be different. We wouldn't have a "nation", we'd have individual states. Things would be very different. We wouldn't be a superpower among nations. How would that have effected the outcome of World War II?
But then again, maybe then terrorists wouldn't feel the need to attack us.
The whole world would be different if the Civil War had turned out differently. The only way we would have encountered fewer deaths would have been if the North had given up. But apparently, giving up wasn't in the character of the people. Their character formed our nation. Those deaths were essential for that character and commitment to unity to intensify and become the core of our strength as a world power.
They were extremely committed. Which apparently isn't as important to people anymore. Maybe that commitment is a vital quality that is lacking in our society today. If we had that same commitment today, how would our country and our impact on the world be different?