[rodeo-mamma]

I sometimes wonder if people become rude because they think it is the only way others will respond, negative attention is better then no attention.

[governmentstillsucks]

I sometimes wonder if people become rude because they think it is the only way others will respond, negative attention is better then no attention.

Rudeness, and really, crudeness is provocative. Are we more interested in the plain folk or the Paris Hiltons of the world?

I think your basic instinct is right: we've lost our English manners. Whereas fifty years ago, had we received a phone call from a wrong number, we would say, "I'm sorry, but I think you have the wrong number," now we say, "F**k you, wrong number!" is disturbing.