Hello databasedna
I have made the same observation and view it as a continuation of the very successful campaign of "divide and conquer". It is probably as old as humanity but still works perfectly.
Keep us all separated and the issue that creates the division doesn't even matter. We will splinter off in regards to just about anything, colour, social status, haves/ have nots, political preference, choice of football team. As much as we have advanced, we still do not have the maturity to accept another point of view that we don't agree with or one that challenges our engrained perspective.
It can be an uncomfortable feeling to disagree with or challenge the herd. As a herd animal we need acceptance and we also want to please others. This obviously isn't a bad thing, but it has been exploited like many of our inherent human traits.
This is where the elite/ rulers/ controllers have gained the advantage over us as they know these traits and have manipulated them for their own ends. They are organised and appear to have an unquestioned hierarchy and agenda so while we squabble over the earth being round or flat, they are making global decisions of population size, eugenics, war, economic boom/bust etc.
Many have learned to let the mainstream media do all their thinking for them and have gotten lazy. I understand this as I was one of them for a long time. For me, turning that television off was like turning on to the truth. But I can't turn all of the TV's off. If they aren't watching the ones on the wall, they are watching the one in the palm of their hands.
And we have the greatest responsibility of them all as we know and the beautiful thing is, if we can achieve harmony amongst ourselves, then we have a chance with them.
We need to realise that it is ok to have different opinions and views and that we need each other. We have to get together and organise ourselves, then work harder than we have ever worked before to grow and gain support of those around us. Until we work this out, we will be stuck herding cats.....