Interesting article, although I haven't seen the balkanization, firsthand.

America, says Mr Bishop, is splitting into “balkanised communities whose inhabitants find other Americans to be culturally incomprehensible.” He has a point. Republicans who never meet Democrats tend to assume that Democrats believe more extreme things than they really do, and vice versa. This contributes to the nasty tone of many political campaigns.

Heh, they make it sound as though lines are being drawn for the next American Civil War. I think political campaigns are going to be nasty, regardless, but living only amongst your own political kind is no way to experience life. That's something I've enjoyed about being involved with both the chess and hacker communities... I interact with individuals from all over the political and social spectrums. Occasionally, political discussions might get a bit heated, but at the end of the day, we're usually pouring drinks for each other.