Conservatives and Empathy

[midcan5]

Think UHC. Extrapolate UHC.

"[T]rying to measure a life of poverty as a collection of stuff isn't really going to come close to measuring that same life as a whole life."

Category: But we knew this already, why does it now matter?

Note my new category of thought, I have always wondered what goes into making a person of conscience and what goes into making a conservative? So the piece below struck me again as well, 'I already knew that.' But a Fox conservative talking head learning something still is worth a thought, if only to say why did she not know that before she knew that. How is it we know anything.

'Falling into the empathy gap'

"Fox, of course, would be the very same news network that endorsed a comparison between birth control and "pedicures," so this is no small change of heart on Kelly's part. The Family and Medical Leave Act, under which she received her post-birth benefits, was introduced by a Democratic representative, approved almost entirely by Democratic legislators (with Republicans voting almost entirely against it*), and signed into law by a Democratic president - and Kelly, believe it or not, doesn't think the bill is liberal enough. As tempting as it is, though, just to deride her for lacking the sort of minimal empathy that we expect from children, I want to add a little bit of a wrinkle to Savage's analysis."

Rust Belt Philosophy: Falling into the empathy gap

 

[editec]

Empathy is the ability to imagine the plight of another.

You'll no doubt note that most of the self proclaiming cons on this board display a complete lack of empthy.


Now whether these folks are just trying to sound like tough guys, or they're truly incapable of getting outside of their own shoes, is anyone's guess.

But one does frequently encounter people who are permanently stuck in their own heads who truly cannot remotely imagine another's POV, and almost without exception those types tend to be dogmatic cons.

 

[Oddball]

Empathy comes from the heart, not from an edict from on high.

Then again, the left has shown themselves to be in possession of the tiniest hearts out there -as evidenced by the widely circulated annual lists of political types who give the most and least to private charities- so it's little surprise that they'd project their callousness onto everyone else.

 

[Oddball]

Empathy is the ability to imagine the plight of another.

You'll no doubt note that most of the self proclaiming cons on this board display a complete lack of empthy.


Now whether these folks are just trying to sound like tough guys, or they're truly incapable of getting outside of their own shoes, is anyone's guess.

But one does frequently encounter people who are permanently stuck in their own heads who truly cannot remotely imagine another's POV, and almost without exception those types tend to be dogmatic cons.

Yeah, leftists are really caring and empathetic...As long as they don't have to foot the bill for their "generosity" themselves.

 

[FuelRod]

Is it more empathetic to believe all people have the same abilities and can rise above circumstance ? Or to support policy that hinders such?

 

[Sallow]

Empathy comes from the heart, not from an edict from on high.

Then again, the left has shown themselves to be in possession of the tiniest hearts out there -as evidenced by the widely circulated annual lists of political types who give the most and least to private charities- so it's little surprise that they'd project their callousness onto everyone else.

You guys keep posting this crap like a badge of courage or something. Speaking as someone who's actually given to charity..and worked for charity..making sure all our citizens share in the wealth of the nation should be a given.

There is absolutely no reason, none, nadda..that any American citizen should starve, be denied health care or live in squalor.

 

[martybegan]

Empathy has no bearing on the ability or will of a society to assist those at the lower end of it. Empathy can, in fact, be used as an excuse to patronize those at the lower end, giving them just enough to keep them alive and reasonably comfortable without a chance to elevate thier status, in return for poltical support.

The object of any support given to the lower strata of society should have the sole goal of making those people self supporting, not keeping them on the dole. This however is the exact opposite effect progressive authoritarians want, after all a self reliant voter is an unreliable voter. A voter still on the dole will keep supporting the dole controllers.

 

[Sallow]

Is it more empathetic to believe all people have the same abilities and can rise above circumstance ? Or to support policy that hinders such?

All people do not have the same abilities, come from the same point in life or have the same means.

That's total nonsense.

 

[martybegan]

Empathy comes from the heart, not from an edict from on high.

Then again, the left has shown themselves to be in possession of the tiniest hearts out there -as evidenced by the widely circulated annual lists of political types who give the most and least to private charities- so it's little surprise that they'd project their callousness onto everyone else.

You guys keep posting this crap like a badge of courage or something. Speaking as someone who's actually given to charity..and worked for charity..making sure all our citizens share in the wealth of the nation should be a given.

There is absolutely no reason, none, nadda..that any American citizen should starve, be denied health care or live in squalor.

Then create a charirty to accomplish this, get private financial support, and do what you see as needed. Or at least do it at the state level, and create state laws appropriate to it.

Just stop using the federal government as your big bully boy to force others to pay for your social works. Stop being lazy, stop using the governments bully power of taxation.

 

[Oddball]

Empathy comes from the heart, not from an edict from on high.

Then again, the left has shown themselves to be in possession of the tiniest hearts out there -as evidenced by the widely circulated annual lists of political types who give the most and least to private charities- so it's little surprise that they'd project their callousness onto everyone else.

You guys keep posting this crap like a badge of courage or something. Speaking as someone who's actually given to charity..and worked for charity..making sure all our citizens share in the wealth of the nation should be a given.

No badge of courage...Just the facts.

RealClearPolitics - Articles - Conservatives More Liberal Givers

There is absolutely no reason, none, nadda..that any American citizen should starve, be denied health care or live in squalor.

Platitudes don't count as charity either, dude.

 

[whitehall]

What kind of empathy did it take for LBJ to fund the "great (liberal) society" that tore Black families apart and greated the welfare state? We are still paying for the abject failure. Maybe political pundit Michael Savage was right when he said "liberalism is a mental illness".

 

[uscitizen]

Empathy is the ability to imagine the plight of another.

You'll no doubt note that most of the self proclaiming cons on this board display a complete lack of empthy.


Now whether these folks are just trying to sound like tough guys, or they're truly incapable of getting outside of their own shoes, is anyone's guess.

But one does frequently encounter people who are permanently stuck in their own heads who truly cannot remotely imagine another's POV, and almost without exception those types tend to be dogmatic cons.

Part of the mindset that makes on a con also limits their ability to percieve the world from any other viewpoint but their own.
They learn to go thru the motions of being sympathetic to others but it is a sham.
For instance, they will never understand that many muslims have valid reasons to hate the USA.

 

[Bern80]

Empathy is the ability to imagine the plight of another.

You'll no doubt note that most of the self proclaiming cons on this board display a complete lack of empthy.


Now whether these folks are just trying to sound like tough guys, or they're truly incapable of getting outside of their own shoes, is anyone's guess.

But one does frequently encounter people who are permanently stuck in their own heads who truly cannot remotely imagine another's POV, and almost without exception those types tend to be dogmatic cons.

oh give me a break with the fucking melodrama. You are so full of shit ed. A problem with obamacare now equals a lack of empathy? Come up with something a little less transparent. The healthcare issue has NOTHING to do with empathy or a lack of it. You are all deluded if you think the right doesn't want the same thing you do. We all want access to health care.

This is not an example of a lack of a lack of empathy from the right. It is a display of a lack of integrity of the left and a ploy that is as old as time. Dress up government sanctioned theft and redistribution of wealth and abolishment of freedom in the robe of 'empathy'. No incredibly weak argument you make (and this is a weak one) explains why your health is my responsibility.

On top of that you can't even be honest. Empathy is an emotion, not an action. And that is what your are really after, not empathy. What you really want is for that empathy to translate into freely giving money to every poor soul you think deserves it.

 

[Cuyo]

Empathy is the ability to imagine the plight of another.

You'll no doubt note that most of the self proclaiming cons on this board display a complete lack of empthy.


Now whether these folks are just trying to sound like tough guys, or they're truly incapable of getting outside of their own shoes, is anyone's guess.

But one does frequently encounter people who are permanently stuck in their own heads who truly cannot remotely imagine another's POV, and almost without exception those types tend to be dogmatic cons.

Yeah, leftists are really caring and empathetic...As long as they don't have to foot the bill for their "generosity" themselves.

That's horse shit Oddy. Get bent.

 

[California Girl]

Ok, who stole my violin?

 

[Sky Dancer]

Who stole my Tibetan bell?

 

[Greenbeard]

The healthcare issue has NOTHING to do with empathy or a lack of it. You are all deluded if you think the right doesn't want the same thing you do. We all want access to health care.

Not sure if you were trying to illustrate the OP's thesis so brilliantly or if it was accidental.

 

[Bern80]

Empathy is the ability to imagine the plight of another.

You'll no doubt note that most of the self proclaiming cons on this board display a complete lack of empthy.


Now whether these folks are just trying to sound like tough guys, or they're truly incapable of getting outside of their own shoes, is anyone's guess.

But one does frequently encounter people who are permanently stuck in their own heads who truly cannot remotely imagine another's POV, and almost without exception those types tend to be dogmatic cons.

Yeah, leftists are really caring and empathetic...As long as they don't have to foot the bill for their "generosity" themselves.

That's horse shit Oddy. Get bent.

Unfortunately it's true. Really who or what is stopping any of you from putting this empathy you preach so righteously to others into action? Who is preventing you from putting YOUR money where your mouth is and helping all these poor souls? If you want to help people so badly, GO FUCKING HELP THEM. Hell I'll even support a change to the tax code to help you out. If you really think government has to have more money, I will gladly support legislation that allows anyone to give as much money beyond what they owe in taxes as they want. Certainly enough people must feel as you do and would certainly open their wallets like I'm sure you would right? Of course you won't you fucking hypocrite.

 

[Bern80]

The healthcare issue has NOTHING to do with empathy or a lack of it. You are all deluded if you think the right doesn't want the same thing you do. We all want access to health care.

Not sure if you were trying to illustrate the OP's thesis so brilliantly or if it was accidental.

Illustrating would be showing my lack of empathy. Believe me I am more empathatic than most. I just don't translate that empathy as you do to mean taking money from some to give to others as the best and only course of helping people.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

There is absolutely no reason, none, nadda..that any American citizen should starve, be denied health care or live in squalor.

For conservatives, of course, there is a reason.

The prospect of an American citizen starving, going without healthcare, or living in squalor acts as an incentive for all to do better. It’s the conservative doctrine of fear, the only real motivator.