I see a lot of misconceptions about divorce statistics going on in this thread.
Divorce rates have increased since the introduction of no-fault divorce (1950-1970), certainly, but the per capita rate of divorce (number of divorces per 1000 people) has actually decreased since 1980. General divorce rates have actually held fairly steady since the 1970s. Additionally, marriages that end in divorce last about 7 years on average.
I'm sorry, woods, but you're buying into the idea that somehow yesterday was better than today. I see plenty of long-term marriages surviving today. My parents have been married for 27 years, and I fully expect them to stay married until death separates them. My SO's parents are the same, and his family is full of similar, stable marriages. I also see marriages break apart; divorce has touched both of our extended families, but in both cases, the divorce was for a good reason, and certainly not for any lack of trying. People don't throw in the towel on a 25+ year marriage without a good reason. Regardless of how long a marriage has lasted, the alternatives must outweigh the costs for divorce to take place.
The real reason why divorce rates seem higher is because of the introduction of no-fault divorce. Prior to no-fault divorce, it was very difficult for women in particular to get out of bad marriages.
The CDC does a great job of tracking marriage and divorce trends. You can read a report here:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_022.pdf
/threadjack