The thing is that the same people are seldom so disrespectful when they interact with others in person.
Max Elbaum said in an interview:
<blockquote>Slapping labels on people or ideas one disagrees with, or stressing every possible area of difference rather than unity -- these are not behaviors that were left back in the 1970s. And a downside of today's "internet culture" is the tendency in at least part of it to foreground snap judgments, rapid escalation of disputes, and even harsh personal disrespect and mean-spiritedness. These are off-putting and counter-productive to say the least.
I find it hard to imagine how we will be able to revitalize the U.S. left without a maturation in our collective political culture. It is a daunting task to establish the left as a powerful moral, intellectual and political force in nationwide politics. I think attracting millions requires forging a democratic atmosphere of flexibility, openness, generosity of spirit, respect for every individual, and fundamental belief that people (including ourselves) and the world will change. <http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/jacobs161006.html></blockquote>
There's a "downside" to faceless communication, of the sort that Max points out. So, to have a meaningful debate on the Net, one needs to make conscious effort to counter that "downside." -- Yoshie <http://montages.blogspot.com/> <http://mrzine.org> <http://monthlyreview.org/>