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There's a line in The Gulag Archipelago by Solzhenitsyn that throughout history wars where a country emerges victorious end up causing a more conservative society afterwards. A defeat ends up with a more liberal society. There's also a theory that a war is inevitable for every generation since we forget how bad the experience actually is.
Given this topic, I think that there's a lot to be said about these theories. I'm not saying that a victory necessarily means a generation of conservatism, although it's possible, but I think if you look at American history, you can see the ebb and flow of conservatism and liberality are remarkably similar to our politics. For instance, WWI ended, and we basically cut off most ties with Europe and sank into isolationism and Prohibition. The post WWII era was full of McCarthyism. Vietnam was it's own mess with the associated hippy movement. And despite Clinton's win after Gulf I, the early 90's was the rise of the American right as a real power. I could go back farther in time, but I think my point is made.
There are lots of counter-examples and certainly not a perfect theory, but I think it makes an interesting addition to this discussion.
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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin
"There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush
"We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo
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