[Griff]

On an individual level, I think people can build and progress without an enemy but a civilization needs an enemy to spur progress. We needed Sputnik as a sword over our heads to create the will to go to the moon. Tom Godwin explored the idea in Prison Planet where successive generations of humans were kept focused on progressing by a leader advertising their survival to the enemy Gerns. The problem is that petty politicians know and use this need for short-term gain which often collides with long-term goals.