Yes, but we have successfully broadened our concept of 'social unit' to which we belong over the years. To a West Saxon, an East Saxon would have been an enemy tribesman - or at best mistrusted ally. Now, they would throw their arms around each other at a football match as fellow Englanders - even if one of them is of another religion or skin colour (sometimes).

We are clearly capable of (very slowly, as those rusty cogs struggle to turn) reaching an understanding that our narrow concept of who is 'like us' is self-limiting, destructive, and simply absurd.

White-collar companies (and voters) in the UK, for example, are less obsessed with regional accents and received pronunciation than they were even 30 years ago.

We need an alien invasion to hammer the point home. Bring on the bug-eyed monsters from Alpha Centauri!