You know what else abhors a vacuum? My dog.
It is said that nature abhors a vacuum. The same is true of the soul. When society, and the people within it, have a void in their souls, pressures will naturally increase to correct this malformation.
Western society, for all our knowledge and wealth, may be one of the most broken societies in history. A healthy society is built on many pillars, and we are missing 4 of the most important ones.
Love of God
Love of Family
Love of Country
Love of Honor
All of these have been killed in our modern Western society by the same hands.
When society has lost too much love, it's only natural for it to manifest itself again with as much fervor as these characters have brought out.