Avoiding the use of a war to unite a country

Am wondering if some of the changes in the nature of the news articles online, is due to an ancient phenomenon.

Uniting a nation by having them work together to fight an external threat, is much like getting siblings to cooperate to fend off an external threat. But when the external threat is gone, then the siblings bickering among themselves resumes.

Historically, leaders have united their countries by creating wars, to utilize this effect.

Now we are winding down a pair of wars well designed to be unwinnable and therefore long drawn out. But now ending. That means the probable phenomenon of bickering among ourselves will make up more and more news, in our seemingly insatiable thirst for drama of winners and losers.

There is so very much that needs accomplishing, that requires our working together to accomplish them. Sure, we can survive, limp along in the same old way, without those achievements. But why would we choose that? Yet it seems we have chosen it, per the daily news announcements.

Surely there is a better way than having a nasty war ongoing, to unite us to work together instead of doing the bickering mischief. But leaders throughout history have used the war card to win the game of internal cooperation, instead of something else.

We might be at a turning point, in this phenomenon. But we need some new ideas about it, fast. Else we will destroy ourselves in the bickering, or else another war or two will get concocted again, to solve the problem.