1) Short posts: These have the advantage of being easy and quick to type in between real world activities. They have the disadvantage of encouraging the poster to be flippant and also guaranteeing that they will be misinterpreted by at least one other poster leading to a vitriol filled flame war, or
2) Long posts: These have the advantage of allowing you to fully explain yourself. However, the disadvantage is that it will go unread, or even worse, only part of it will be read out-of-context leading once again to a vitriol filled flame war.
So you either need to go to one of those "happy" meaningless threads where everybody agrees with one another or discusses non-confrontational topics, or you go into battle with people who can't read, can't understand, or purposely misstate your post just to start a flame war.
I used to post longer posts, but I have recently limited myself to snarky comebacks.
Less work for the same result!
You’re right. It’s not a FR-unique problem. It’s a structural problem for the reasons you described. (Short, flippant posts.)
There is also a lot of pent-up frustration in people in general. We’re being told the world’s going to end unless we enact top-down socialist programs. Even self-described Republicans and some conservatives can’t resist the seduction of using and growing government for their own means.