[hackula1]

The stuff we are going through right now might seem scary, but McCarthyism was not exactly the golden age of trust. It was not so long ago that "mainstream" society did not trust blacks, working women, the japanese, or jews. We (royal "we" here, emphasis on the royalty) still don't seem to trust gays, atheists, or many other groups. Mistrust is what keeps humanity sharp, but it is also what has been holding us since the beginning.

[ams6110]

Mistrust or suspicion of different-looking people and/or foreigners is most likely an evolutionary survival instinct: trust the tribe, fear invaders.