So, We're Getting Meaner! What's It To Ya?

Snarky comments on the Web about Bristol Palin and her dancing.

Threats from New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino to "take you out!"

Broadcaster Pat Robertson saying the people of Haiti had basically brought an earthquake upon themselves.

The meanness meter went pretty high in 2010 -- at least that's the premise of a conversation on All Things Consideredtoday between host Robert Siegel and satirist/blogger Andy Borowitz.

He argues that this was one of the meanest years since 1651 -- when Thomas Hobbes wrote The Leviathanand, in Andy's words, made the case that man is at war "with each other all the time, 24/7."

"That is kind of like what this year was like. We were seeing a lot of beastly behavior and the distribution system for our beastliness has gotten so much better because we have the Internet now":

Much more from Robert's conversation with Andy will be on ATClater. Click here to find an NPR station that broadcasts or streams the show. Later, we'll add the as-aired audio.

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