What benefit comes to our nation by all the hatred and vitriol between differing points of view?

Question

We say we love our country, but we are not serving it well by letting the national discourse deteriorate into name-calling and hatred. This is the United States of America where differing opinions should be respected as the natural outgrowth of freedom and independence. But I think that most people would be happy with a benign dictatorship as long as it agrees with their points of view and restricts other opinions. I think most people, if asked whether they would back the Bill of Rights now, would say no. How sad!

Wow! First answer reinforces my point! Neener-neener! "Liberals don't care; they don't use restraint". Again, how sad!

Answer 1

Nothing is accomplished and our enemies know it. They use partisanism against us to divide and conquer. I think the conservative side see's this and thus uses some restraint. The Liberals dont see it, or dont care, and therefore use no restraint at all. They go as far as to visit foriegn lands and air dirty laudry to the world. They just dont care.

Answer 2

A very perceptive question indeed! But perhaps the hatred and vitriol are present in large doses only in the national media, where the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
I suspect that Americans as a whole do not disagree or harbor as much enmity toward each other as the media seem to portray.
It is my sincerest hope that we can continue to have a mutually respectful national dialogue and more consensus on the issues that affect us, and that any type of dictatorship - even a benign one à la Kemal Ataturk - never rears its ugly head on our shores.