A population this size.
The kind of violence we see in the entertainment industry.
Hate crimes.
Glorification of violence among children
Outright hate directed towards fellow citizens. Obviously people were alienated because of poverty, illness\disability, ethnicity, gender, certainly if known homosexual preferences.
I was born in 1969 in my lifetime, I don't remember a time when people would publicly, and shamelessly express the kind hate we see now.
But, I have read about scarlet letters, stocks, "Sinners In The Hands of an Angry God," witch hunts, etc. but the kind of vitriol and hate we see seems to have escalated within a very short time. I remember when Reagan and John Lennon were shot, and it seemed that no one questioned the idea that there was a problem with the fact that Mark David Chapman and John Hinckley were able to acquire guns.
Congress was angry during the Clinton years, but eventually did work together at times.
The Bush administration managed to start 2 wars with little domestic objection. It wasn't hard to get people on their side given the circumstances. But, those were obviously unfortunate hands to be responsible during that time. They capitalized on an idea that we are hated all over the world. Terrorism is hate, terrorism is everywhere, we should fear terrorism. With time, did a kind of terrifying fear become synonymous with hate?
They implemented policies that made us afraid of our neighbors and anyone who looks like they could be from the middle east. The hate seems to have escalated as the threat has subsided. Is hate a sense of empowerment for people who have been most fearful?
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