I wouldn't say it's flame bait.

It just seemed to me a very good example of '2 nations divided by a common language'

But I'm more a celebrate the differences kind of guy.

But point taken about the internet being the internet.

As the janitor who has to put out these fires (mixed metaphor, but accurate) I promise you it's flamebait. That's a question of statistical outcomes, not personal taste.

It would be nice if it were otherwise but for that you need a much smaller and more cohesive group. Large internet forums can't work that way - the long tail is too big, and there's always a supply of triggerable commenters.