I think it is just part of human nature.

When it comes to diets it seems like everyone has to demonise something.

I agree with ben. The dangers of various antinutrients is an awareness that should not lead to demonizing carbohydrates. This is classic cognative dissonance. You'll get Paleo newbees who jump on the 'bacon our saviour' bandwagon, before chillin out and throwing in moderators like, 'it depends on your goals, body shape' etc. The same thing with carbs. It is easy to cling to a label by finding a backlash to adhere too. But most should be aware by now that Paleo is indeed an umbrella term for a better general awareness of what makes us healthy, and what has been added in modern times (food, lights, stress, sloth, linear living etc) that interfers with this path. It is not low-carb or anti-carb, or even a self gratifying justification of itself as a paradigm. The dissonance of the very thought of being so loud and stupid results often in these newcomers revising their beliefs to meet with obvious facts that carbohydrates, whilst not being essential guests at the macro-N party, can be a part of a healthy (training or otherwise) Paleo lifestyle.

I think that creating a demon out of something is probably a bad call. Understanding why some food could be or is probably not worth eating due to science is better. Eating should not be about what you believe, it should be about what you understand based on the current science.

as Robb Wolf said, and I paraphrase, I reserve the right to change my stance if new evidence shows differently.

For me personally I have to demonize them to stay away from them. I crave sugar/carbs terribly bad when I feel stressed and unless I convince myself that they are evil, poison, will kill me etc I will continue to eat those things. Maybe it's not the best way to deal with my obvious mental issues with food but it does work.

It is easier for me to not eat things if I think of them as not-food, but I am not sure if that is the same thing as evil.

Now that I have had a real problem with gluten I sort of look on it and feel like a big cat looking at plants.

Well since "us" included everything from elite athletes to morbidly obese people there is no one answer. It seems pretty clear to me from reading posts here and elsewhere that many people of a more normal weight do fine with them. I wouldn't know about that. I know about the obese end of the spectrum which ,in general, doesn't do so well with them. It's not about demonizing. It's about understanding their powerful effect on the body and making personal decisions on whether to include them or not based on that knowledge.

I see fruit in the same vein as dairy. Have a little but not too much. Probably fine in moderation for most people. If your body tells you that these foods are not a good thing then you listen and make adjustments. Again it's not about demonizing. It's about making intelligent choices based on what we know about the effects of these foods on the human body in general.

I would only say that 1) knowing about how fructose is metabolized and how it can adversely effect our health and 2) demonizing carbohydrate as a whole are not the same thing.

Personal example: I eat daily right about 200 grams of carbohydrate. That makes up about 40% of my daily calories. That is higher than many people. I have no issues with carbohydrate. I enjoy eating them and they make me feel good and my performance is excellent. However I eat no fruit. None. If someone offers me berries I'll have a few but i eat no other fruit at all, ever. I don't see the two as related at all.