Americans relish condemnations of the Middle East and the Arab world in particular as a culture of hate. Google "culture of hate" and you'll find a bounty of essays, blogs and journal articles describing and dissecting the Arab world.
But the real culture of hate, an entire society that celebrates, elevates and has even built an industry around hate is much closer to us than the lands of Sunnis and Shiites. In fact, compared to the American culture of hate, the Arabs are neophytes at best.
In America, hate is even chic and trendy. It can be mass market but it can also be elitist. There are blogs that celebrate hate as an emblem of superiority, encouraging and fueling it. Millions of Americans slavishly follow gossip mongers in all media lusting for the latest blood feud as if little is more satisfying or fashionable than celebrity role models and icons going after each other's throats. At the Grammys we award Rappers who have turned hate into an entire entertainment industry.
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