What has constant promotion of polarized intolerance contributed to the world?

Question

What has constant promotion of polarized intolerance contributed to the world?

Answer 1

To continue what cassius said, greed and power as well.

Answer 2

By being so heavily promoted, it has created jobs for conscienceless people.  It has given brainless followers someone to follow.  It has given aimless rebels a reason to rebel.  It has given the lazy a reason to cry "victim" and continue in their slothfulness. It has given the self-righteous a soap box to stand on.  Pretty much someone or something to blame it all on.  Some person or group to vent anger on. We have gotten too far away from the basics of life...too many of us are confused and hurting and retaliating against a  perceived aggressor.  It's simply a focal point to emotionally vomit on.

Answer 3

Checks and balances!

Co-equal branches of government, bilateral houses of congress, and a two (or more) party system. Oh, and Hannity & Colmes. ;-)

Answer 4

Genocide.

Answer 5

Polarization and intolerance in any case results in wasted energy and wasted opportunities. Attempting to force people to conform to these polarized norms (which human behavoir very rarely ever does naturally, we're all about the normal distribution curve...) is pointless, and means that people very good at something not part of their "role" never get a chance to contribute their skills to society and must settle for being average at something "appropriate". (Roles can be social, gender, religious... I don't want to be too specific about what kind of polarization I'm talking about)

Answer 6

Billions of people living their lives jammed into tiny stratified pigeon holes of their own making.

Remember when there was one or two evening news programs? Everyone listened to the same news, which strove to be unbiased, and heard both sides of a story. Today, with cable and satellite television and the Internet, you can choose to hear only those things that fit your prejudices, and never be inconvenienced by hearing the other side of an issue.

Answer 7

Darn little. They HOPE that one day their side will win...

Answer 8

Competition, and therefore, progress.

Answer 9

A cottage industry of heavily-funded pundits with little to no respect for alternative thought.