  The generic alignment conjecture states that for almost every initial data on
the torus solutions to the Cucker-Smale system under a strictly local
communication rule align to the common mean velocity. In this note we present a
partial resolution of this conjecture using a statistical mechanics approach.
First, the conjecture holds in full for the sticky particle model representing,
formally, infinitely strong local communication. In the classical case the
conjecture is proved when $N$, the number of agents, is equal to $2$. It
follows from a more general result stating that for a system of any size for
almost every data at least two agents align.
  The analysis is extended to the open space $\R^n$ in the presence of
confinement and potential interaction forces. In particular, it is shown that
almost every non-oscillatory pair of solutions aligns and aggregates in the
potential well.
