Reply to If you are MAGA, do you have contempt for empathy?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]To us liberals, this is optically very much the vibe. Is this the case IRL? Would love to understand the thinking. [/quote]

NP. I’m a Democrat and it feels to me that the Democrats have a lot invested in [b]appearing[/b] to have empathy, but not actually having any empathy.

The Republican lack of empathy feels more honest in many respects. [/quote]

VS?[/quote]

Versus actually having empathy. I simply do not believe Democrats as a group have empathy and compassion. I used to believe that, but no longer.

I find the Republicans somewhat refreshing in that respect. They don’t pretend they have empathy and compassion. [/quote]

So your world view is that no one has empathy?[/quote]

I believe people have empathy, but I do not think people grouped by political affiliation have empathy based on that affiliation.

In other words, I believe the average Republican is as likely to have empathy as the average Democrat. As political groups, I believe neither have empathy. And I certainly do not believe whatsoever that Democrats are more empathetic than Republicans. [/quote]

I feel like a lot of my world view is based on the idea that it is not pleasant or desirable for anyone to suffer unless strictly necessary.

I think the reason this question is resonating is that republicans and maga seem to really relish others suffering. It doesn’t just seem like pragmatism. It seems core to the belief system and the culture.

It’s not that Dems want to avoid all suffering. But it doesn’t bring them any joy. Watch MTG, desantis, Elon or any of the Trump brothers and it’s clear that others misery brings real joy and that’s the culture they are fostering. They’re not just cutting taxes they’re taking great pains to ensure people feel miserable and humiliated.

That’s the crux of the q [/quote]

Thank you for good faith engagement. I think you sincerely believe what you are saying. I just don’t believe it is true. The left is just as capable of being vicious and showing no empathy or mercy to out groups as the right. The most recent high profile example being the J6 prosecutions.

I’ll grant that there were some people who committed very serious crimes that day and deserved serious punishment, but there was also a significant number of people who were over prosecuted and prosecutorial tactics were shocking and vicious. I have not heard anybody from the left speak for the over prosecuted group.

I also lived through 2020 when medical establishment and politicians were calling anti-lockdown protests super spreader events but a few weeks later BLM protests were literally labeled necessary health events by those same people.

The immigration debate is also illustrative:  the same party that would claims to care for the working class has no qualms about mass undocumented labor undercutting the working class…

Research shows that all people are empathetic to in groups and hostile to  out groups. The only thing that changes is who is the in group and out group. [/quote]

hard disagree.
it's been said elsewhere in this thread but the difference is this. Democrats have empathy for people who make bad choices driven by desperation or mental illness NOT for people who make spiteful choices driven by a desire to win or to one up others. 
THAT is the difference. 
[/quote]

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