This isn't new behavior. There's a reason that phrases like "mob mentality" exist. There is a human tendency to join in with a swell of anger and bring it down

This isn't new behavior. There's a reason that phrases like "mob mentality" exist. There is a human tendency to join in with a swell of anger and bring it down upon some person for violating laws or beliefs. The nice thing about the relatively recent past was the presence of tightly controlled mass media which didn't give reactionary, witch-hunt types a voice. The internet has democratized the sharing of knowledge to a degree never before experienced by humanity, but it has also given those who appeal to our baser, exclusionary instincts a powerful platform. Pleas for thoughtful dialogue and careful deliberation don't fill people with the addictive cocktail of hormones that the calls for beheading do.