I don't think our list's incivility is a function of the left. I think you'd find the same thing on a comparable list on the right. I think it's a function of war, which is the ultimate test of loyalties. By nature it divides people into loyalists and traitors -- or critical thinkers and dupes -- without a middle ground. And people who pride themselves on their intelligence and engagement find it even harder to say "I'm uncertain" when it comes to killing people and letting people be killed. Acting certain when you're not becomes bluster. And since the soul of cyber-civility is writing "I could be wrong, but" or "It seems to me that" at periodic intervals, it's no mystery that this has so quickly become something of flamewar. Although to be fair to us, it's only a flamewar relative to our normally high level of civility. Compared to the average usenet flamewar, this is a waterfight.
Michael
__________________________________________________________________________ Michael Pollak................New York City..............mpollak at panix.com
"The time for action is past! Now is the time for senseless bickering!" __________________________________________________________________________