In my opinion, many are now asking me to "forgive" and "excuse" and " reach out to" people

[pat_k]

22. So many have allowed their empathy to erode to nearly nothing.

I believe they are lost.

For a very, very, very long time, the belief that it is possible to appeal to the humanity of our fellow Americans has underpinned our efforts.

I see that effort as doomed to failure when you are dealing with people who have lost the essential human capacity for empathy. Without empathy, there is little "humanity" to appeal to. I don't see any possibility of "waking up" those people from their dedication to destructive individualism, competition, and heartless exploitation.

I don't write off every DT voter in this way. They must be judged by their actions. Tragically, for most, their actions condemn them to very sad lives. Helping others is rewarding. Too many Americans apparently have no capacity to enjoy such rewards. Their actions have been aimed at destroying any program that helps a human being that is not in their immediate circle. And they are particularly hellbent on denying any benefit to "those people.” (Just as they designed social security to deny benefits to agricultural or domestic workers. . . any work that employs too many of "those people" -- even to the detriment of their "own" doing that work.)

If the years of DT have taught us anything, it's that the heartless and racist impulses are alive and well -- and still hold power. And they will continue to pursue their dedication to further depriving those who already hold less than 0% of the national wealth. They have watched as ever greater numbers are in debt. And as ever greater amounts of weath are amassed by the top 10, or 20, or whatever. No person with any empathy could watch this and not be moved to do something about it.