Re the lack of politeness in modern political dialogue, a recent article in the Washington Post quotes George Washington:

... in a free and republican government, you cannot restrain the voice of the multitude. Every man will speak as he thinks, or more properly, without thinking.

Apparently things haven't been that different for (at least) centuries!

(from a letter by George Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette dated 1 September 1778, cited by [1] "In Today's Viral World, Who Keeps a Civil Tongue?" by Ann Gerhart; cf. Knowledge and Public Happiness (2003-07-29), ThyNameInVain (2004-03-26), ...) - ^z - 2009-10-20