“To be specific the institution is an increasingly costly and perceptually pointless(due to being hollow out by redefined & striping of function) union. Indeed the only thing that holds marriage together is millennial of cultural momentum & social pressure by folks like us. But the fact is The marriage today is not the marriage of two centuries, or even 50 years ago.”
Economics were a basic reason marriage endured, and sugar-daddy “Uncle Sam” removed that (the effects of this could especially be seen in the breakdown of the black family). Removing children from the equation (or lack of regard for children in a marriage) was the final straw.
"Economics were a basic reason marriage endured, and sugar-daddy “Uncle Sam” removed that (the effects of this could especially be seen in the breakdown of the black family). Removing children from the equation (or lack of regard for children in a marriage) was the final straw."
You may be right on that frount too, I must admit I was thinking about it when writing my post.
Anther key change is the growth of women in the work place which has created further financial Independence from men & families coinciding with the break down of the family. 
Wether this proceeds or follows the family break down may be indicative of whether or not its a factor. I suspected originality however given the poor straits many if not most single mothers are in would tend to rule this factor as a by-protect rather than a cause. It is however possible that it is either both or a symptom of the same root cultural change. Our view nonetheless must be broadly focused on the other social, political, and economic changes taking place over this and the proceeding(1 generation) period.