I think it has turned into a gender war. Where the most important thing is to prove that you don't need the other gender. You can do everything alone. Needing someone is weakness. And also, who deserves what and who should do what for whom. Everything is a contest now and everyone must be and do the same, no differences. Because that's bad.
For much of the extremes, perhaps yes, but I don"t think it is necessarily a conscious thing though to do that by the rest caught in between, but it happens, as with each action and reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction. I will give an example.
Let's say the extremes want to blame the other side and cannot admit to their wrongs or desire to be responsible for their own actions. They seem one-sided in their thinking. They may want to have tons of followers on their side or blend in there to prove their point, elevate themselves and to push the other side down.
The ones in the middle, like I and some others, as I see some good, neutral and bad points coming from all extreme sides, are often pushed to choose sides, or to defend our gender, identity or orientation, or the issue they are unfairly attacking or stating in some biased way. But if we instinctively choose a side for a certain issue we may be labeled unfairly, or be seen as believing in everything they believe in.
It seems like nobody is in the middle these days and thinking for themselves but feeling they must rush to the side of one of the extremes. I often stay in the middle as it is a safer and smarter place for me to be. I will side with or call out any for any single issue if I strongly agree or disagree, regardless of gender, identity or orientation ,but for any general ideology I just do not believe in being categorized in one of those places there as I could disagree with many important issues there, if I saw they were hypocrites or slanted in one direction.
Why even have feminism, masculism or whatever? Why not equalism movements where we get rid of all double standards and assumptions that one gender should have more rights or responsibilities there? I mean advance issues of that gender, orientation, class that are pushed down, yes, but then be equal there, and do it too for those issues outside our gender and belief systems if that was seen as more fair. And accept equal responsibilities when elevated there. Do not keep wanting to go higher and higher too as then backlash will occur there.
Extreme views are my pet peeve. But, unfortunately, both sides are contributing to it, and equally. We need not tear or push others down to elevate ourselves, or to give one side to equations like many in society do, but use facts, details,sound reasoning and logic and a position that shows impartiality, so the message is more heard than the hate, other emotion and/or manipulative lies, because when we repress and critique those groups against us, just to elevate, while not wanting the other side to advance too in ways, those others will push back sometimes even harder. It will become cyclic, a war like you said. Each side will want to be seen as right or push away or down the other,leading to division, separation, more harms, or the breakdown of so many things.