empathy

Fortunately I’m not American so I am a little removed from the mayhem and hatred. That maybe provides me with a little objectivity.

I am astounded by a number of things that the MAGA republicans are doing that seem remarkably cruel and callous to me:

Cutting off aid to the extremely needy people in the Third World. A decision that will not save a lot of money but which will cause immense suffering, starvation and death.

The cutting off of medicare for the poor. Throwing the poorest under the bus unable to get vaccinations or even basic medical care.

The reducing of welfare for the poorest people (while giving huge tax relief to the wealthy).

The deportation of people who have lived their entire life in America to countries they have never known, to violence, torture and death.

MAGA mentality is extreme and seems entirely lacking in compassion and empathy. They heartlessly blame the poor for being poor and treat immigrants with disgust. They don’t care what happens to these people. It’s as if they are vermin and should be eradicated. They are no longer real people. Their suffering is of no consequence!

Put America first! Nobody else matters!

There does seem to be a strong racist element to it. The ‘We Shall Not Be Replaced’ white supremacy movement is big in the thinking.

There are obvious fascist parallels with Nazi Germany – scapegoating immigrants, Muslims and Jews.

We are all familiar with the psychological profile of Trump who seems to be very much a stereotype of a narcissistic sociopath with psychopathic tendencies.

(Sociopathy – Some people may use the term sociopath to describe what a mental health professional would diagnose as antisocial personality disorder. Symptoms may include disregard for others, a lack of empathy, and dishonest behaviour.)

(Psychopathy, or psychopathic personality,^[1] is a personality construct^[2][3] characterized by impaired empathy and remorse, along with bold, disinhibited, and egocentric traits. These traits are often masked by superficial charm and immunity to stress,^[4] which create an outward appearance of apparent normalcy)

(Narcissism – selfishness, involving a sense of entitlement, a lack of empathy, and a need for admiration, as characterizing a personality type.)

The key word in this is empathy – a human trait leading to compassion, a basic human trait that is the basis of most positive relationships and civilisation.

It appears to be a key factor missing from most MAGA individuals. Musk is another who fits the profile. Vance is another.

They simply do not seem to care at all about anybody – particularly people who oppose them. Indeed, they actively seem to enjoy inflicting pain on these people. That’s Psychopathy!

The weird thing is that the evangelical movement have got right behind this heartlessness. They selectively use scripture to support their own support for policies that seem completely at odds with the teachings of Jesus. But they justify it. It’s a weird double-think.

The other weird thing is that the MAGA policies of giving to the rich and taking from the poor hit the very people who avidly support them. By stoking up the fear of immigrants they have successfully distracted from what is actually going on. Far from draining swamps they are supporting a confederacy of billionaires!

The psychology of this phenomena is interesting. Is there a mass psychology at work? Does Sociopathy breed sociopathy? Can psychopathy breed psychopathy?