WHY is There so much HATE in this country???

[yuiyoshida]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014738509

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014738487

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017177827

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014737549

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024559080

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024560208

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024565225

[doc03]

1. I would say most of it comes from religion n/t

[el_bryanto]

50. I would disagree. nt

[doc03]

51. The most close minded bigoted people I know are fundamentalist Christians n/t

[el_bryanto]

52. Sure - but religion also produced the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. nt

[doc03]

57. And Pat Roberson, Jimmy Swagert and Jim Bakker. They also

supported Hitler and Bin Laden

[cali]

71. And where does religion come from? It comes from the minds of humans

If it wasn't religion it would be some other thing.

Human nature.

[former9thward]

94. And atheists produced Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot and the nuts in North Korea.

What is the point?

[Warren DeMontague]

118. A lack of belief is not the functional equivalent of a belief.

Sorry. "Atheists produced" is, essentially, nonsense. There is no core dogma or central philosophy to "Atheism". The Juche philosophy of N. Korea worships the Kim dynasty as Gods, themselves, essentially. Stalin and Mao and Pol Pot had their own belief systems. The "Atheism" of Karl Marx could not be, functionally, more different than the "Atheism" of Ayn Rand- the only common factor, if you can call it one, is what they did NOT believe in.

Whereas, like it or not, there are more than a few common threads between fundamentalist stripes of the major Western Monotheisms.

See where I'm going with this? I agree that saying "religion" or blaming "religious belief" is ridiculous, counterproductive, lazy, and I would even agree with religious people who feel its insulting. IMHO "religious fundamentalism" would be a more effective and accurate way to make that point.

But going "neener neener, Atheists" really isn't much of a counter-argument.

[former9thward]

119. Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot went to war against religion.

Churches were destroyed and priests were murdered. Atheism was and is a core belief of communism. You don't get to blame religion for some atrocities and then say atheism has no role in others. At least if you are being intellectually honest.

[Warren DeMontague]

120. You're not listening.

And I'm not "blaming religion", but, whatever.

[CreekDog]

130. what athiest church taught all of them to be atheists?

which atheist theologian was their instructor?

[former9thward]

133. They were followers of Karl Marx.

The most famous atheist on the planet. If you don't know that simple fact why are you posting on a political board?

[snooper2]

79. Fundamentalist anything, Islam and other mythology doesn't get a pass

[closeupready]

73. I would not.nt

[Warren DeMontague]

2. There's not.

Things are getting better. I truly believe that.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. Not sure about that

I think the election and reelection of Obama really sent some people over the edge.

[yuiyoshida]

16. I am sure the first election

pushed people over the edge.. seems like an increase in outward racism has popped up its ugly head. Rush Limbaugh leading the pact, with his race hatred rants. I will never forget what he said about the visiting Chinese ambassador. Seems he has forgotten there are OTHER Asians living in this country. He can stuff his "ching-chong" antics up his.....

[freshwest]

30. Not only that, his Dittoheads made death threats to the guy who spoke out about it.

Remember him? A councilman or representative in California?

I got a ist of sponsors from his website to boycott.

[yuiyoshida]

5. Sadly I disagree....

Each day on DU I read more CRAP of what the RIGHT WING are trying to do...much of it is B.S and sickening. Some of it is not even based on Science.

[Warren DeMontague]

7. Sure, and I hear you. Still, the reactionary stuff is a reaction to some major fundamental shifts.

In terms of LGBT equality, there has been massive change in public opinion. Not everywhere, and certainly long overdue, but it's still good news.

[yuiyoshida]

8. There is that...but look at the rest

of the LINKS I posted..AND THAT IS just Today..

[Warren DeMontague]

12. I'm sure people in conservative red states are confused and probably mad.

Because the tide is clearly going towards marriage equality, when just 10 years ago "keeping teh gays from getting married" was widely credited with the GOP's wins in 2004.

[Art_from_Ark]

38. There are lots of people like that *everywhere*

It's not limited to "conservative red states" by any means-- there are plenty of hate groups to go around (with California leading the count), and Rush Limbaugh's rantings are broadcast on radio stations in all 50 states.

[Warren DeMontague]

39. And likewise, there are progressives in all 50 states. So I think you misunderstand me.

The question was specifically about certain laws being passed right now in certain states. These laws are overwhelmingly being passed by conservative state legislatures.

[Art_from_Ark]

40. I didn't see any question strictly pertaining to laws

I saw three links to laws, or bills, in the OP (two of which were about Arizona), while the other links were about crazy politicians, Ted Nugent (the nutty guy from Michigan), and the American Family Association, which I assume has members in all 50 states.

[Warren DeMontague]

112. My point was specifically regarding laws.

It was not that right-wingers are exclusive to any states, or not.

It's a question of who has the majority in the legislatures, AFAIC. You will note that no one is passing vaginal ultrasound bills in California, New York, or Oregon.

[Dirty Socialist]

42. No Progressive Talk in SW Ohio

And I can hear Rush on 10 different stations here.

[rbrnmw]

55. We don't have Progressive talk radio in SE Ohio either

wish we had something here to listen to.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

114. To follow Warren's point....

The average person in America just doesn't care who sleeps with whom, if someone is gay, if they wish to get married, etc. anymore.

The problem is, the average person is passive. They have no reason to get involved one way or another, because while they don't hate, they don't have the will to stand up and do anything much about it. And to be fair, it's hard for the average American just trying to get by to spend their time fighting a well funded machine of hate. The worst thing, however, those people do is simply not vote.

All the links you posted are perpetrated by scared, miserable, people who feel they have something to lose. They are a minority, but a loud, well funded and ultimately violent minority.

But if you read what they say....when they say "I'm losing my country". Right there. They know their time is up. Dinosaurs marginalized to extinction. These efforts are the last gasp as the rubble and dust chokes their atmosphere and them as well.

[RainDog]

9. I would agree with Warren

as much as I'd like to find a way to disagree with him...

You filter your experience of the world by the amount of time you spend reading about various things. That's one reason I don't read and/or reply to many posts here about horrific things. I note them, but it's also important to offset the barrage of bad news that is selectively presented (we here post items we think are of interest and hope will interest others - the sorts of posts that get a lot of attention are the most sensational, for whatever reason.)

Policy posts, as others here have noted, don't get the same attention or responses because they often require more understanding of this or that issue. Or they just aren't sensational stories.

But I, too, think things are getting better.

Remember, too, that anytime a society goes through changes, there will be some turmoil because not everyone comes to the same understanding of an issue at the same time or even through the same processes.

If you look at the great big scheme of things - THE issue of concern is the collapsing middle class. It's politically dangerous, socially dangerous, and it requires others to do something not in their self interest, in the smaller view of the world, but really in their interests in the larger view.

It's hard for people to look beyond their self interests sometimes, and sometimes people respond strangely when they feel their self interest is threatened.

[yuiyoshida]

11. Again I point to the links I posted.

That is just today.

[RainDog]

14. Right wingers did the same to Kennedy

And did it at a time when he was assassinated, which is why people have a hard time accepting Oswald as someone acting alone.

The point I was trying to make, tho, is your experience of the world is filtered by DU.

If you logged off of DU for a few days, didn't turn on TV, etc. and saw other things that made you realize there are good and decent people, and the majority of them are - and even some of the creeps are capable of this with the right sort of "socialization" to a new normalcy - you could put all that in perspective.

However, what we haven't seen before now is the outright racist sentiment as a standard for a political party since Wallace.

Prior to Obama's election, as Lee Atwater noted, Republicans transferred their racist argument into economic ones, knowing Republicans would hear the "dog whistle" of racism in policy actions.

They're still doing that.

But, because Obama is bi-racial, some also stir up the worst among us by appealing to their fear/hate.

The same with women.

When we have a female president, we will see the sexists out in force. We already see them working to undermine female autonomy through the law, and this is tied to their religious hatred of females - tho they don't realize their religion is teaching them to view females as second-class humans. It's "natural" and "the way god made us" to keep others, what ever their "other" may be, away from power because that maintains power within in narrow range of possibilities.

...which is how some like it. They're called Republicans, for the most part.

[pampango]

43. Things are getting better globally other than environmentally which is deteriorating.

Global poverty is way down though there is a long, long way to go. And global climate change is a huge problem that, if not dealt with, could overwhelm everything else.

People are never told about the progress. Decade after decade, they think it is as it was long ago.

It may come as some comfort to Norwegians that, according to Rosling, the comparatively better performance of American respondents doesn't mean they are better educated: quite the opposite in fact.

The problem for me was not ignorance," he told the audience in his famous TED talk. "It was preconceived ideas."

He said that people in Norway were not kept up to date by the media on changes in global trends, pointing to the deceleration in population growth over the last few decades as the most telling example. According to the survey, there will be two billion children in 2100, a number only seven percent of Americans, six percent of Norwegians and eleven percent of Swedes got correct.

"People are never told about the progress. Decade after decade, they think it is as it was long ago. The world view that emerges corresponds quite well to the world 30-40 years ago. They have a time lag of 30-40 years. Look at vaccination," he continued. "The number of children vaccinated, people think it’s between 20–25 percent who are vaccinated, but it’s 84 percent."

http://www.thelocal.no/20140212/norwegians-more-ignorant-than-americans-study

[kelliekat44]

4. RW Talk radio and its low information voters and non-voters. nt

[Mika]

6. Its not hate.

Its love for the haters.

[LostOne4Ever]

10. Hate is an addiction

One that destroys one's own heart and soul.

[RKP5637]

62. It is, and it's contagious, and how the practitioners of hatred make their tons of

money, for example, Rush Dumbo and the rest of the herd of his ilk. And the faithful sponges of hatred soak it all up and preach it like the gospel. It not only destroys their own heart and soul, but also those that must tolerate them.

[Jamastiene]

132. I have always seen hate as a poison.

It eats the person up and and becomes an obsession. It really should be counted as a mental illness. Instead, the rest of us have to take pills for our mental health because of the bullshit we have to put up with from hatred all around us. It is extremely messed up, if you stop and think about it. If the people who hate obsessively would take some mental health pills, the rest of us could live in relative peace and harmony and many of us probably would not need pills any more.

[uppityperson]

13. Fear. Fear they will lose what little they have to someone else. It is easier to hate than fear

Fear they will not have enough. Fear someone will have more.

Yoda's quote may seem trite, but is very real. "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."

[yuiyoshida]

15. Fear leads to

buying a gun. I would love to see the stats for the level of gun violence in this country. It seems like its gotten worse. 10 Years ago, no one walked into a school and gun down teachers and kids. No one walked into a church and gunned down the ministers, or walked into a movie theatre and killed a lot of people.

[proudretiredvet]

18. Mass killings in schools, churches and other public places started a long time ago.

We are back to the idea that no one ever died a violent death at the hand of another until after there were guns.
Pure and total BS.
Just because someone says the words, the 10 year thing here, does not make it true.

[yuiyoshida]

22. THAT gun violence that happened

in New England recently was reported as the worst ever. Okay, so if you want to include the CIVIL WAR.. YOU GOT ME.

[proudretiredvet]

31. How would you like your crow served?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster

[yuiyoshida]

33. Sorry, the

Civil war Trumps your Bath School Disaster...

Approximately 620,000 soldiers died from combat, accident, starvation, and disease during the Civil War. This number comes from an 1889 study of the war performed by William F. Fox and Thomas Leonard Livermore. Both men fought for the Union. Their estimate is derived from an exhaustive study of the combat and casualty records generated by the armies over five years of fighting. A recent study puts the number of dead as high as 850,000.

http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/faq/

[proudretiredvet]

70. I do like words that are recorded.

This is what you said. You own it.

buying a gun. I would love to see the stats for the level of gun violence in this country. It seems like its gotten worse. 10 Years ago, no one walked into a school and gun down teachers and kids. No one walked into a church and gunned down the ministers, or walked into a movie theater and killed a lot of people.

It started much earlier than that and they did not need or use to kill many more children than any of the more recent school or church shootings. Your original context was schools and churches. If you wish to try another discussion we can go there next.

The latest gun stats in our country show that there has been a very large increase in the purchase of firearms during the Obama presidency and that during that same period of time violent crime has gone down. So according to those stats more guns mean less violent crime.
Still want to stay with the "stats?"
OK we could look at the stats that clearly show that in the cities with the harshest and most restrictive gun control the events of gun violence are higher, per capita, than other areas with very lax gun laws.
I have lots of very real and true stats. I love the stat game.

Back to your post. Kids getting killed in school did not start 10 years ago and guns are not necessary to kill people. Mankind has been doing that to each other far longer than guns have been around.

I have a lot of stats about people getting killed in churches more than 10 years ago too where guns were not involved. Shall I post them too?

The statement about not before 10 years ago, remember that?
Here is a list of about a hundred school shootings that started more than a hundred years ago and most of which were before 10 years ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States


Will that be crow, rare or well done?

[yuiyoshida]

75. "more guns mean less violent crime. "

really? no... no and no.

[proudretiredvet]

85. But that is exactly what the stats indicate. It is black and white simple addition and subtraction

With no room for wiggles, sniggles or anti constitutional spin. More of item A and you have less of item B. A direct result, cause and effect.
So I guess your stats thing is not looking so good right now?

[yuiyoshida]

87. YOU ARE NOT going to convince me...or ANYONE on DU

THAT MORE guns are the answer to gun violence in this country. And I bet if you made a poll and ASKED THAT.. you would see for yourself. go ahead, make my day.

[proudretiredvet]

95. Polls are beliefs not facts.

You like stats but the stats do not support what you said. They support exactly opposite of what you said. That is my point.
Those who take a pro gun stance usually know what the numbers are, how they can be twisted and where the spin ends up.
When you go to stats on this issue to support what you believe they will respond with the basic unaltered statistics. They are compiled by our government and Law Enforcement agencies and available for all to see.

The invention of guns did not begin the history of unnecessary, and unacceptable deaths on this earth.
I blame people for killing other people. It is those who kill and already ignore the gun laws on the books that we have to somehow deal with.
Further discussions are welcome.

Have a good day.

[yuiyoshida]

99. I am not going to listen to somene

who spends the entire day in the "gungen". You too have a good day! Oh, and If you want to make that poll, That be cool..but I know you won't.

[former9thward]

96. You don't speak for DU.

You just think you do.

[yuiyoshida]

97. Let him make a poll...

LETS see what happens. As for speaking for DU... All you have to do is lick your finger, and put it up in the air, to see which way the wind blows.

[former9thward]

101. You are free to make any poll you want.

Not that they mean anything. Polls on DU are very self-selective. People that want to be on the side of the pollster respond to it. Those that don't ignore it.

[yuiyoshida]

107. He was saying that the answer to gun violence is more guns.

ASK DUers what they think...You don't have access to a National poll..so we do it here. Right? Would you like me to make that poll? I would be happy to...

[former9thward]

108. If I wanted you to do it I would do it myself.

Not taunt someone into doing it. There are national polls on the subject but I'm not going to look them up because I am not going to participate in the hijacking of a thread from the OP.

[yuiyoshida]

110. I will do it for you.

Lets FIND out SHALL WE?

eDIT: hERE WE GO!!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024569353

[yuiyoshida]

111. LETS SEE WHAT HAPPENS...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024569353

[proudretiredvet]

104. I do not pretend to speak for anyone else.

But I do insist on facts that are supported by provable truths. Straw-man side trips don't interest me and I will point them out and stay focused on the discussion at hand.
When someone posts a statement about a subject that I have strong feelings about and I know that statement is not true and factual I will respond. I will bring facts to that discussion. I will post links, I will do my research. If I am factually wrong and this is pointed out with provable facts by link, I will also admit I'm wrong.
Every poster in here is always welcome to do all of these things as well.

[former9thward]

106. I certainly agree with all that.

[yuiyoshida]

109. FAIR ENOUGH

But you said the ANSWER to gun violence is more guns.. MAYBE I should make that poll for you? If not maybe you don't care what DUers think? If that is true, why be here?

[proudretiredvet]

125. No I didn't.

Those are your words that you wish I had said.

What I said was:
"So according to those stats more guns mean less violent crime. "

The english language can be challenging at times but what I said is an analysis of the stats, not what I think is the answer or what I believe.

If you wish to know either of those ask but when you quote me please tell the truth.

[hack89]

59. The phrase "going postal" was coined in the 1980s due to a string of mass shootings

Going postal, in American English slang, means becoming extremely and uncontrollably angry, often to the point of violence, and usually in a workplace environment.

The expression derives from a series of incidents from 1983 onward in which United States Postal Service (USPS) workers shot and killed managers, fellow workers, and members of the police or general public in acts of mass murder. Between 1986 and 1997, more than 40 people were gunned down by spree killers in at least 20 incidents of workplace rage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going_postal

There is not more violence - simply more coverage in our digital age.

America has seen massive declines in all forms of violent crime over the past 20 years. You are actually safer now then before.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/10tbl01.xls

[rrneck]

124. Actually, we're living in the most peaceful era in human history.

http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_on_the_myth_of_violence.html

Steven Pinker charts the decline of violence from Biblical times to the present, and argues that, though it may seem illogical and even obscene, given Iraq and Darfur, we are living in the most peaceful time in our species' existence.

Linguist Steven Pinker questions the very nature of our thoughts -- the way we use words, how we learn, and how we relate to others. In his best-selling books, he has brought sophisticated language analysis to bear on topics of wide general interest.

[polichick]

67. Yep - and that fear is stoked by propaganda networks 24-7.

[uppityperson]

68. The powers encourage people to hate and fear each other rather than the bigger things

distraction

[polichick]

72. True - the old divide and conquer trick. Too bad so many people fall for it.

[LadyHawkAZ]

17. Because it gets fed regularly

Keep the masses fighting each other and they won't fight their ruling class.

Hating "the other guy" keeps people busy, with very little effort.

[yuiyoshida]

19. Yes but who is doing that?

ITS the FOX NEWS network, Clear Channel Radio, and Rush Limbaugh. All the innuendos and dog whistles to their base, to live in terror and hate. The other day in a chat room, I was talking to this guy ..when suddenly he went all... ALEX JONES on me. I was like..where you getting this garbage. Of course he listens and believes everything Jones said.

I couldn't stand it so I left. Later I got a message from him, telling me I am the RACIST.. because I hate WHITE PEOPLE.. I was like.. WTF are you talking about? I ended up blocking him and removing him from my friend list. I don't discuss my politics or religion in chat... I never do..but of course he had too, cause when he heard I was Buddhist you would have thought He was chatting with His Devil! All of this out of no where..

[840high]

27. You got it.

[aquart]

20. The country or just DU?

[yuiyoshida]

21. Last I looked...those were headlines

From this country, were they not?

[rrneck]

23. Tribalism pays.

What if there were a natural resource that was absolutely inexhaustible. And this natural resource was an absolute requirement for human life on earth. Also, this natural resource could be exploited with minimal capital investment and you could even gin up a spike in supply without much work.

That natural resource is human emotion. And it pays better than oil.

[RDANGELO]

56. That's it.

Fox News and right wing radio are constantly reinforcing it. The end result is people who view our society in terms of groups of people opposing one another.

[rrneck]

65. To be fair,

there are profiteers on both sides of the aisle.

[Shankapotomus]

24. Because there are some groups and sub-cultures

among us that really object to the "United" in "The United States." The unattractive truth no one wants to admit is conservatives and liberals have no business sharing the same country.

[NRaleighLiberal]

25. Dash of fear, dab of religion. Too much TV...too many ads - apathy

just a few factors. Oh yes...and greed (for those with fear of losing it!)

[Ilsa]

26. Economic uncertainty breeds fear and hate, IMO. nt

[840high]

28. That.

[Johonny]

29. upward mobility is now lower than the countries people's ancestors left to come here

the whole notions of making a better life than your parents is moot. People mostly voted for this themselves and because they can't accept the fact they created this mess than get mad at logical constructs that make easy scape goats instead; blacks, gays, Mexicans, Chinese, Taliban, Atheists, mythical high tax rates...

[pampango]

48. People "get mad at logical constructs that make easy scape goats instead; blacks, gays, Mexicans,

Chinese, Taliban, Atheists, mythical high tax rates... "

Very well said, Johonny. And these "logical constructs that make easy scape goats" are creations of the right that perpetuate the "Us" good guys vs. "Them" bad guys" myth and the "life is a zero-sum" game. If "They" win, "We" lose and vice versa. None of this "We are all in this together" liberal crap.

[Ilsa]

54. You read my mind. :-) nt

[pampango]

47. And enough sustained fear and hate can lead to dramtic change - usually not for the better.

The far-right usually gains from severe, sustained economic uncertainty. The far-right has simple, violent answers to economic uncertainty.

[Ilsa]

53. Naziism comes to mind.

Blaming the Jews and Slavic peoples for current economic despair was a cornerstone of naziism, wasn't it?
Good replies throughout thread, BTW.

[2pooped2pop]

32. faux news n such

Faux has been stirring shit up for years now. I think during Obama's first term they did everything they could to get some rightwing nut to attempt to assassinate him. They stirred up a shitload of hate.

Add that to the fucking destruction of our lives, our country and our world by the republicans, and people start getting pissed.

[Jamaal510]

34. Who knows. Many people are

just taught to hate those who are different from them. None of us are born as haters, but hate is something that is learned in one's life.

[yuiyoshida]

41. I totally agree..

The example I can think of, is when I grew up, many of my neighbors were Chinese. I went to school with the kids, and we got along great. I have so many friends who are, or Taiwanese. I was very shocked one time, to go on a chat site, where there was a room that had many Mainland Chinese people. When they heard I was Japanese they immediately told me how much they hated me! They didn't even know me, yet this was their history speaking to them. How is it that American Chinese kids can grow up with a Japanese girl and treat her like she is part of their family, where in China this will never be possible. I understand history, and that people still hold a grudge. But life is so different here. I am glad.. in our High school all the kids got along. There were no street gangs, there were no thugs, or guns or knives. Just a bunch of thoroughly integrated kids who liked each other and some how got along!

[Crunchy Frog]

35. Because corporate and monied interests find it useful

in getting people to unwittingly support their agendas. They invest alot in stoking it up and fanning the flames, and human nature easily gives in to the encouragement. It's an effective way to play people.

[awoke_in_2003]

36. Because when things are going bad...

it is easy to find scapegoats.

[GoCubsGo]

76. And, may I add to that...

The ones who have caused things to go bad are creating those scapegoats, and they're shoving them down our throats. It's the old "divide and conquer" tactic. They get the masses to busy hating on each other that they don't notice these plutocrat fucks are doing to them.

[awoke_in_2003]

88. Yep. nt

[Loaded Liberal Dem]

37. Because hate is easy, as is fear

Understanding and compassion are WAY tougher. And humans, by nature, tend to be lazy.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

44. I pick Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh

She definitely opened the door to open Obama hatred

Rush, little by little, year after year, made the poor and unfortunate the object of ridicule and hate. Now, his followers believe the cause of all our country's problems lie in us giving everything to the poor and sick.

[yuiyoshida]

90. Rush Is horrible...

I have heard him say some stuff that other broadcasters would have probably gotten fired over. I mean He loved using the word "Nigga" and said now he can say that without feeling any lash back. But you know, he WANTS SO badly to say the "N" word, he can taste it.. But he encourages his audience ..Wasn't it a right winger who was encouraged to Assassinate that doctor who worked at an Abortion clinic? Someone else who stands out is Michael Savage. He also manages to generate a lot of HATE.

[davidpdx]

45. There is a fringe element in our country that doesn't represent the majority

but they are louder than hell and have some pretty outrageous beliefs. I personally think they are going to burn themselves out. The election in 2010 may have been the beginning of the end of these (excuse my French) fucking nut cases.

[JHB]

46. For starters, it's carefully fostered

It's a very easy beast to ride to money, wealth, ratings, and power.

[sibelian]

49. Hate is fun. It feels good.

I mean it. People get a thrill out of being nasty. It makes them feel good about themselves.

Remember Clint Eastwood?

"Make my day, punk."

There you go.

[Puzzledtraveller]

84. this doesn't help either

http://www.salon.com/2013/09/16/the_internets_favorite_emotion_rage/

[sibelian]

126. No, indeed.

I'm beginning to think that the Internet is perhaps just not a very nice thing.

[Bluenorthwest]

58. Things are improving. Straight folks on DU in 2007 spoke hate against LGBT

regularly, defended their 'no marriage equality stance' loudly. Now, that has become very unfashionable. In 07/08 Obama used 'ex gay' hate preachers as personal surrogates, by 2012 'ex gay preachers' were a full tilt joke, Michelle Bachmann territory. That's progress.

[RKP5637]

63. Civil liberties in the US are ALWAYS an uphill battle in a country that brags to the

world about freedom and equality. Hell, even women are constantly battling for equal rights!

But, as you say, I do think it's getting better, that some progress has been made. However, much as with people of color, I think the battle of gay rights, for example, will continue forward for decades, even after battles have been won, because some people just have to have something to hate and persecute. And some of the faithful make hoards of money by promoting hatred and persecution, as well as the hate jocks of radio and TV, etc.

[MO_Moderate]

60. There's not

Some people just assume all disagreement with their opinion is founded in some sort of 'hate', so they see 'hate' everywhere.

[RKP5637]

61. Religion has always been used "by some" as the great divider of mankind and to

enhance their power and control over people. Many also use it to enhance their wealth. Religion is a tool. Many we see today are on an ego trip with religion, and money is a nice byproduct.

Much as with technological advancement, some use religion for "good" and some use religion for "evilness."

And many are blinded by their faith, unable to think for themselves.

[Enthusiast]

64. Hatred is being cultivated by the right.

It serves the corporate interests to keep the population divided over what should be non-issues.

The right side of the political spectrum control nearly the entire media and they use it to push dishonest nonsense 24/7. People that watch Fox "News" feel perfectly justified in hating liberals, racial minorities, religious minorities, illegal immigrants, scientists and anyone that doesn't believe in the Tea Party, Ronald Reagan and the Grover Norquist gospel.

Consider just one of the ridiculous claims by the right commonly heard on Fox. They say Obama wants to make more people dependent on government "handouts" because this creates more good Democrats. Fox watchers believe this crap. No wonder they hate us.

[GoCubsGo]

78. Exactly right. n/t

[yuiyoshida]

81. I agree...

Fox News just generates it. The comments made by that female Fox News Caster saying that SANTA CLAUS is White.. was just generating comments to knock down everyone who was not "White". The racial undertones on Fox News ..and Fox and Friends is just pathetic.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

66. Partly it's the 1% encouraging the rest of us to misdirect our fears at each other rather than THEM.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

69. hate is profitable

[Zorra]

74. Birds of a feather flock together, and that's what conservative hate churches are for.

Haters gonna hate.

[gopiscrap]

77. It's stoked up from right wing media fucks

so they can make a buck

[yuiyoshida]

93. I have

Despised Fox News for so long now. Its almost if you watch Fox and Friends (I don't have a TV anymore but the internet youtube is filled with examples.) They try and drum up the hatred against certain groups of people.. the sick, the dying, non-whites, Gays... the innuendos tossed out are dog whistles to their base to take it a step further.

[Tikki]

80. Well, the one place that you would think would teach and preach LOVE, often...

more than often teaches and preaches HATE.

They will tell you it is all spelled out in an easy do-it-yourself manual.



Tikki

[yuiyoshida]

86. I wonder about that...

were churches preaching hate 50 years ago? What happened to "Love they Neighbor" ...now its .. "Love thy Neighbor" except if they are Black, Hispanic, Latino, Asian...Gay, Democrats, Liberals, Poor, Sick, Dying... "Don't love your neighbor...GET a gun!!!"

[SamKnause]

82. Causes of hate and division;

The Tea Party
Religious fanatics fighting against each other
Racists
Homophobes
Women being treated as second class citizens
White Supremacists
Fox News
Right Wing Talk radio
Televangelists
Intentionally keeping millions in poverty and severe poverty
Belief in American exceptionalism
Policing the world
Militarizing the police
Empire building
Propaganda

The list goes on and on.

[Sunlei]

83. Looks to me, like all the hate is promoted by republican paid media and RW fake- "charities"

[treestar]

89. They are just desperate

They are on the losing side and know it.

[yuiyoshida]

91. You know what, I really hope you are right...

I would love to see the right wingers go the way of the Dinosaur...

[Rex]

92. Decades and decades of hate radio and now the insane Tea Baggers

plus you have some really stupid Libertarians out there that hate, but are too stupid to know what exactly.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

98. Less than in most other countries.

There is less hate -at least as I think you're using the word -per capita in the USA than in most countries outside the West.

[yuiyoshida]

105. Yeah

I suppose if you included the rest of the world.. maybe .. but why should we have to grow up around hate? Everyone tells me, that many years ago this was all underground. There were of course hate groups, but for the general public, people on a whole never seemed to express their hatred of people who were sick or poor, or whatever. It was all under the rug. NOW, with Fox News and Hate Radio..its out in the air...fresh and as smelly as cow dung on a Summer afternoon!

More cows...more cow dung.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

116. Because chimpanzees are tribal animals, essentially. N.T.

[yuiyoshida]

117. god....

You just reminded me of one of my favorite movies .. But then I always loved Michael Crichton's books..

[lumpy]

100. We now have a place to advertise our hate, displeasure, frustrations; it's called the internet.

We are hearing from more people, than ever before, their opinions and responses regarding many subjects. That includes people expressing the hate that no longer simmers in silence.

[Puzzledtraveller]

103. so true

Hate, anger, fastest spreading emotions on the internet.

[yuiyoshida]

127. I agree this is true...in fact...

The word "Troll" has transformed the meaning of that word. Once a fantasy character who slept under bridges, tricked fairy princesses or attacked Elves in droves... the word now stands
for a group of individuals who thrive on disrupting or creating havoc in chat rooms and website forum pages.

[stillcool]

102. lack of power..

I think hatred has the effect of making a person feel more powerful, more in control, superior, righteous. Then they don't have to acknowledge or even question the emptyness, inferiority, lack of meaning, and impotentence in their own lives. Without their hatred, they are only themselves. Totally unacceptable.

[DefenseLawyer]

113. Fear

"I hate to say this... but this place is getting to me. I think I'm getting.... The Fear" - Dr. Gonzo

[G_j]

123. +1

[jmondine]

115. Lack of Self Awareness

[LittleBlue]

121. There's hate in every country

It's just a question of how much and how well it's hidden.

In perspective, our country is really more like Europe than a single country. We live in a federation of 50 states with a large population and a huge geographical area.

Notice the clash in Europe between different regions. One region is so different than the others that it's difficult to coexist. The EU is reeling because different countries have different views on just about everything. It's the same here except we have a much more powerful sovereign authority and a polarized populace. That causes conflict, heated rhetoric that emphasizes our differences, which leads to hate.

From my limited time in Japan, I saw what appeared to be a near utopia. Until I experienced it more fully. After following the country's politics, especially politicians like Hashimoto Toru and Ishihara Shintaro, I saw hatred where before I had seen so little conflict. But even so, Japan is so homogeneous and modern that it helps contain that hate. We are not homogeneous, we have a lot of differences, hence what you see as hate.

[yuiyoshida]

122. sou ka!

Omoshiroi ne!! Though Japan does seem to have a problem with foreigners moving in. I have heard this over and over again. Even the simple question like "So, when will you be moving back to your country?"

[Hamlette]

128. Modernity and whites becoming a minority.

Louis CK did a great bit about this. When you have treated minorities like shit forever and you are told you will soon be in the minority, you can't think they will let bygones be bygones and treat you like the gods you think you are. Obama being elected didn't help with their fear. And fear breeds hatred. You can't imagine living in fear so you decide to hate them instead. It's the old mud sill theory. Some people have to have someone who is lesser to them so they can feel superior. Once they are in the minority they have no one.

So, you refuse to do immigration reform and try to undo all the women's lib stuff. In the hopes you can reverse it or at least stall the inevitable.


Karen Armstrong argues modernity alone leads to fundamentalism which breeds certainty which morphs into fear and victimization and ultimately hatred. We're doomed if we want to progress.

[yuiyoshida]

129. Great take

Thanks for that.

[Jamastiene]

131. Hate is a multimillion dollar industry in America.

And now, America is exporting that hate so countries like Uganda can make laws that explicitly make it a death penalty offense just to be gay. American preachers are behind that law in Uganda and they are behind quite a bit of other hatred worldwide too. Does America export anything else BUT hate nowadays? Think about it before you answer, because the answer might surprise you. Yes, I'm serious.

Because, the schism between the different areas of America keeps people who would be allies from defeating the forces of hate. I'm from the south. I'm hated down here for being gay. If I go up north, I'll be hated by quite a few people for being from the south. Geez, if I go anywhere else but the south, I'll be hated by quite a few people for being from the south. Never mind the fact that I'm a lesbian who has experienced some of the worst hatred imaginable in this little shithole hometown of mine down south. It doesn't matter. Everyone hates everyone else and very few people really want to stop and get to know each other. If we did, we would find that if the non-hateful people in the south and the non-hateful people in the other areas of the country got together and fought the hatred all over, and yes, including in the south, we could eradicate it through education and breaking down more and more barriers.

But, we don't do that. We just all decide to hate each other, it seems.

Personally, I love anyone from anywhere as long as they don't hate gay people and don't abuse animals or children. I could give a shit less where anyone is from. I just wish everyone else would try to take people on a case by case, person by person basis. Then again, that is how hate thrives. People lump each other into groups to make it easier to hate each other.

Everyday People said it best. Sly and the Family Stone. It's the truth. Everyone seems to hate everyone.

In America, it is now a multimillion dollar EXPORT. This means, one of the main things America exports nowadays is blueprints for how to spread hatred and make some of the most deranged laws imaginable, and make money at it in the process. You KNOW what happens when money is in the mix.

[Demo_Chris]

134. Because, for the most part, we are all in this alone. nt

[otohara]

135. Check This Out!

I think the right is worse - but the left can be pretty ugly too, which saddens me.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024572296