Behold the Strange Spectacle of Christians Against Empathy
OK, this is the most frightening thing I’ve heard so far about the Trump agenda. And you know that is saying a lot. But I’ve had trouble wrapping my mind around the cruelty and dehumanization underlying so much of what this administration is doing.
I’ve struggled to understand the urgency with which they’re trampling health, welfare, and human rights across this country and around the globe. And now, there’s an explanation. It’s one that evokes the idea of how enslavers learned how to wall off any empathy for the enslaved in order to achieve their higher purpose of profit for themselves and others who not only looked like them but ranked in their own class.
Trump and his white-male-billionaire-dominated leadership team are all-too-easily able to dehumanize those they now are sending to their doom. And often, they do this with glee, such as when they design brutal conditions for those who may or may not be in this country illegally yet are tabbed for rendition. Note: I use the term rendition because that’s what’s happening: sending suspects for interrogation in a country with less regulation for humane treatment of prisoners. It isn’t “deportation” and I thank my friend Jim for pointing this out to me.
So, what’s the new revelation? Turns out the white Christian Nationalist movement is trying to stop empathy, calling it “toxic,” “a sin,” and—according to Musk— The fundamental weakness of Western civilization.” The problem, they say is that it interferes with more important goals. See how that relates to slavery? And, now, to the authoritarian regime Musk and Trump are urgently trying to establish?
A fun side note: these Christian Nationalists are warning that women are more “susceptible” to empathy, so that must be why they are being pushed out of combat and other military roles and why mention of women making contributions to science or as recipients of Federal honors are being erased from all Federal websites.
It’s also why the SAVE Act now before Congress wants to take away women’s right to vote by requiring valid IDs to match the name on birth certificates—counting out the 92% of married women who changed their names. Democrats need to call this out and do all we can to continue to be the party of empathy. There’s more I think Dems should do; you’ll see my suggestions in Monday’s Chicago Tribune. In the meantime read this and weep, as I did.
