Throughout the American Civil War, people of privilege were going about their day. Carrying on with building a business, having dinner out, spending afternoons in the park.

150 years later we have hot water on tap, refrigeration, grocery stores, television. Over that period of time, what was once considered luxury became necessity. And people are talking a lot about civil war.

As with Wiley Coyote in the Road Runner cartoon, this newfound comfort and convenience headed us over a cliff many …