Wealthy, famous and adorned with championship rings, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal accomplished so much together but each is foolish enough to believe it's better that they separate their basketball lives.

Plain and simple, this is all ego fueling a counterproductive feud.

Each may want to re-establish his own identity but in the end it will be to the advantage of neither player.

This article draws a parallel between the Kobe-Shaq break-up, which appears imminent, and the historical struggles of this nation.  The author believes that this historical perspective offers insight into the error of this way, and ultimately provides a lesson that all Americans can learn from.