Just a question from somebody who doesn't follow this board (Only saw this thread from the "Best of" feature), and is not really familiar with the "Big American Divide" as I call it (Left vs. Right), is just sad that he sees such more and more in the countries where he lives (Germany and New Zealand):

Is it possible that all this aggression, this bitterness and hatred, the incapability of both sides to talk with each other in a way that during my childhood was called "civilised", that all that is an effect of modern media, of the Internet?

Kind of people in their cars being anonymous and faceless, able to easily being aggressive, as the inhibitions to behave so towards other human beings are switched off, don't work because you don't have to face that other one, because of the physical sensual contact is missing?