"It occurs to me that maybe there's a feeling that in order to have an argument you have to work up a personal fury against the peop0le you are arguing with - the kind of thing that sometimes crops up in threads on the Mudcat."McGrath

Kevin, I see that Edmund has addressed the thought I would like to point out: In my opinion, UKers are FAR more combative and furiously scornful in their behavior toward each other than the USAers normally are.

Now this does not necessarily involve political parties, but it does include differing views on just about anything else.

It is not just my own observation; Joe O has made the same point in the past.