It doesn't need to be this bad. People are inherently capable of ugly, self-destructive behaviors like this.

But it's ultimately a reaction to an environment which is profoundly inhumane. Although these people are physically unharmed, they have been mentally disfigured by the mechanical claws of corporations, manipulating their needs and desires in order to extract wealth. They are not themselves. And thus I pity them, because I have also done ugly things as a result of pressures applied to me by our resident corporate overlords. They know not what they do.

Some people are actually just assholes though. But not that many. Most are being led by the mob rn.