>The instances where society has broken down in the United States in the past 100 years are exceedingly few and far between.
Perhaps you don't remember the almost annual summer riots of the 60s, Burn, Baby, Burn; and the aftermath of Dr. King, Rodney King and any open door at a King Kullen supermarket!
actually, this should point out to people that we are not so "civilized" a world after all.
Those riots were race-based riots to begin with.
In fact, it would be more accurate to call them racial uprisings, although that's probably still too volatile a term.