Hate as the new cool

Okay, I'm gonna admit something: thanks to my friend Aaron, I'm now something of a forums junkie.  I rarely post, but I enjoy reading what other people have to say. However, I've noticed something that bothers me.  A lot of people post on forums just to talk about how much they think something sucks.  Ignoring the obvious question of, "In that case, why are you even here?" it raises a deeper issue: when did hating on stuff become cool?

It seems to me like people are trying to find more in common based on what they stand against than what they stand for.  (Of course, such a tendency is one of the guiding principles of this year's presidential election, but let's forget that.)  Anyway, I wish I had something insightful to say about that, but I don't.  Suffice to say, I don't understand it.  I do feel that the world would probably be a better place if everyone had a more positive outlook on things and focused on the good rather than the bad... but then again, I'm a cynical optimist.

Song lyric of the day:
"It's cool to hate, it's cool to hate
Liking stuff is just a waste of time
Yeah I hate everything, I even hate you too
So fuck you"
          -The Offspring, "Cool to Hate"

(The types of people I'm talking about might not even recognize the massive sarcasm in that song.  Which is just sad. :-P)