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I think this is a very difficult question to answer. There are many reasons that are multifold and complex. I don't really have the time to address all of my thoughts about this question - but I do have many, many thoughts on the subject - all of which play into the manifesto I plan to write when I am old, lol.
I believe all of the ideas purported thus far likely play into the causes of, specifically, American displays of spontaneous violence - not only play into them, but are both causative and symptomatic - like I said, multifold and complex. And American violence does need to be isolated from much of the violence in the world because much of the violence in the world happens for political and cultural reasons that are unique to the particular region they are occurring in. And in many places that are similar to America in political and cultural lifestyle, you don't see violence occurring to the same extent. Something is going on here that is different.
I just want to put out two suggestions and I'll try to expound on them when I have the time.
1. Rampant narcissism. Personally, I think this is the one, the most important factor contributing to the ease so many people have with killing and brutalizing others in our society.
2. Our divorcement from any sort of natural order to daily living to live in servitude to the consumer-corporate culture. It's just not natural. And I think it perverts our society and causes a lot of dissociation - because it doesn't make any fucking sense. It's irrational.
On another thread (I think it's the same one that prompted this thread) I wrote that I thought personality disorders are like assholes...every American's got one? Even though I framed it that way, I don't really think it's a joke - I think it's true. I believe we have dissociated ourselves with earthly living (basic survival) to such an extent that we are out of touch with what it means to be human beings and as a result we are a bunch of insular ticking time bombs. In fact, one could say that it's truly a testament to the strength of the human psyche that it's not happening more often.
But, if we keep heading down the same path, I think it's very possible that the violence will continue to escalate.
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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce
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