Thanks Louis for a very informative and well-written article. One aspect that perhaps could be touched upon slightly more is the role of the mass media in fomenting and encouraging mindless violence and hatred. The newspapers of yesterday that gleefully promoted lynching have been replaced by far-right propaganda outlets such as Fox News and the Wall Street Journal but much of the fundamental (sic) message remains largely the same: us-versus-them, them as rapists and murderers, vigilante action as "righteous" etc. And just as was the case at the end of the 19th century there's no shortage of simple-minded loathsome types eager to lap it all up.