Some people are just cruel

[Ardent15]

I've talked to people who have applauded the murder of Dr. George Tiller, who say "it's time to cut off the welfare freeloaders" or "It serves the poor people right that they're suffering", who joke about "nuking the Middle East" (or who are dead serious), etc.

It's really disgusting and disturbing. What is with these people? Are they just being assholes, or are they truly sociopathic and callous? I can understand having a different point of view. What I can not understand, and maybe will never understand, is why seemingly so many people are so cruel, so callous, lack empathy, and are full of contempt and hatred.

Maybe it's the system that was created, to separate the "successful" people from the "unsuccessful" people, to give people their own sense of grandiose self-worth, and to make them feel superior to others, so that the system is perpetuated.

Maybe I'm foolish, but I think we as people can do better.

[givemebackmycountry]

1. Some people hate everything and some of them hate everybody.

And some of them hate everything about everybody.
And almost all of these people are conservative Republicans.

[Speck Tater]

2. Since only the greedy sociopaths chase wealth and power...

it shouldn't come as a surprise that all the wealth and power end up in the hands of the greedy sociopaths.

[Echo In Light]

3. Average americans who only get their 'news' from managed sources are big on that...

... "nuke the entire mid east" insanity

Why?

Makes em sound like they're real tough, indie-minded types who know a thing or two 'bout a thing or two - and really want you to believe they do ...cause they don't

[RKP5637]

4. The economic system we have created makes winners and losers by default,

reinforces greed and win at any cost. The system is based on competition and the competition over the years has become more extreme and allows hoarding and quite selfish behavior by default. Most things in our society are based on competition and winners/losers. I'm not surprised in the least by any of this.

We also have a society that often treats wealth and criminal behavior as OK... and the poor and criminal behavior as bad. These are broad generalizations I'm making, but I think they are relatively valid.

[Ardent15]

14. I agree with you

And the extreme competition is promoted at all levels, most critically when people are children. :(

[political_Dem]

5. We are an unfeeling nation.

I believe that since the Reagan Administration and the rise of RW radio, Americans (in general) have been socialized by these talk show hosts to "blame victims", attack anything that is centered around emotionality as well as laugh at the unfortunate.

Anyone who cares about other people in this "new world order" is considered "soft", "stupid" and a "bleeding heart". :(

(For example, Kanye West spoke the truth about Bush's feelings in regards to Black people. But he continually gets attacked in the dominant culture for pointing out the obvious.)

What is worse, is that there have been continual examples in U.S. society in which unfeeling, undeserving people get rewarded while those who are truly good end up being punished. It is a national event when someone in the public eye (whether it is a media gate-keeper, politician or figure-head) is praised for being "tough and stoic". They are rooted for when they attack others. And national tragedy (i.e. OKC Bombing, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina) is treated as a spectacle in the media in which disturbing images are shown repeatedly as anchors and reporters talk almost orgasmically about the violence and the chaos in the aftermath.

We celebrate social, political and intellectual leaders who do a beat-down on the weak. It has always been the American way. Every event in this country is treated like a boxing match in which the Knock Out lets the public know who has the power in this country and how they got there.

But one of the major losses that has come about from this horrendous trend is that we, as a people, have lost our soul. Frankly, I don't know how we--as a nation--will ever capture it back. :(

[RKP5637]

10. I noticed a distinct change too in the 80's toward more "'blame victims', attack anything that is

centered around emotionality as well as laugh at the unfortunate." I too feel it was ushered in during the Reagan Administration and the rise of AM RW radio. AM radio was failing until they found hate radio and RW religion.

Hate sells well in this country, it's a big money maker. Then outfits like Fox cable news caught on... I've noticed this in the workplace too... from the 60's/70's we're in this together to a separation occurring IMO in the late 80's and continuing to much corporate ruthlessness toward employees as we have today. I notice this in our society in general.

I have no idea where this is ending, but this is an unhealthy country. It's not psychotic yet, but I am very hard pressed to think of America as a healthy happy place. Maybe it was on DU I was reading today that antidepressants are the number one drug in America. No surprises there either...

[Ardent15]

11. I too believe Reagan's election was a major turning point

Seemed like people were more empathetic in general before Reaganism kicked in.

[JeffersonChick]

6. They have the victim mentality

For all their bitching about "poor people deserving to suffer (they're lazy)" - they don't do much except complain (all talk, no action). Can we spell P-R-O-J-E-C-T-I-O-N? Meanwhile, liberals are the ones who actually DO something to encourage progress. We're the activists, the volunteers.

As for their cruelty, I think they've been brainwashed by Rush & Beck.

[zorahopkins]

7. The Answer Is "Yes"

"Are they just being assholes, or are they truly sociopathic and callous?"

The answer is Yes...Yes, they are.

[Rex]

8. They hate themselves, their family, life, God or fear those things

or fear imaginary enemies (commies under every bed). In otherwords, they are ratshit crazy and hate and fear are their only two emotions.

[nichomachus]

9. I had a friend who was a Republican

He was a self-made millionaire and was recruited into the GOP by people who thought he would enjoy not paying taxes etc.

One day, he quit. I asked him why. He said, "I just looked around and came to the conclusion that Republicans aren't very nice people."

Fortunately, my friend wasn't like them and saw the light very quickly.

[RKP5637]

13. +1, n/t

[BOG PERSON]

12. Maybe most Americans are just racist retards

[RKP5637]

15. I sure have seen the A-Hole count go up in my lifetime, maybe they were

always there but just did not have the mass media attention of today, don't know...

[onestepforward]

16. Rush and all the rightwing nuts have been telling their listeners

for years that this type of uncaring attitude is cool and empowering. They have been encouraging this callous attitude for some time. When you stand on someone else, it makes you taller. Sigh.

What bothered me the most is when Obama used the word "empathy" to positively describe Sotomayor and was viscously attacked. The rightwing has turned the word empathy to equal weakness and turned it into a negative word.

[Ardent15]

17. Maybe they'll turn "love" and "compassion" and "peace" into "bad words''

Oh wait, I think they already did.

[onestepforward]

19. Yes, they have.

I appreciate your post on this because if we do not speak out about it, it will continue to get worse. I personally have no problem speaking strongly against this ignorance when I hear it and I hope that other people will too. They are trying very hard to kill the best qualities of humans and this will be a very ugly and hateful world if they succeed.

[demwing]

18. Its because Hate has no price tag

We (the collective US society) allow people to express their hate (which is-to a limited degree-their right), without exercising our responsibility for completely and utterly vilifying the haters.

We do not hold people accountable for their hate.
We do not cruelly ridicule hate.
We do not point out the sheer hideousness of hate.
We do not point a finger at hate, and call it by its true name.

We are so worried about nurturing free speech, that we forget that hate is vile, and exists to destroy freedom.

We get so wound up in the "hate speech" vs "responsible speech" debate, that we forget that responsible speech is not just a healthy alternative to hate, it is the antidote for, cure of, and preventative to hate.

We neglect our duty to show the haters "You may bring hate to my door, but I'm going to make you own your hate. You cannot hide behind freedom, like a coward." Then we must bring the fight back to hate. We must get angry at hate. We must scar hate, and force hate to walk away from the fight bruised and bloodied.

[waiting for hope]

20. I have to wonder, those who applaud the Roeder's of

this world, how much are they motivated by religion as opposed to the "have" and "have not" theory? It has always seemed to me that the more someone has a narrow view of the world, the less educated they are and probably would not put them in the "have' column.

[Initech]

21. I feel like I'm living in that show "The Prisoner".

There are some serious assholes in this country, and they all like to think they're better than everyone else.

[chillspike]

22. They have forgotten the human race is one species, a family

not a competition.

[jmondine]

23. They are deathly afraid of their own feminine side

It's a fear that was most likely passed down by their fathers, who withdrew affection or punished them for showing any true or stereotypically "feminine" traits. As a result, they've adopted a "macho" personality.
Understand that machismo has absolutely nothing to do with being masculine, and everything to do with being Not Feminine. Defending women's reproductive rights, showing compassion for the poor, being thoughtful and understanding of other cultures, all of these things are perceived as feminine, so they go out of their way to make sure everyone around them knows that they're exactly the opposite of that.
Ironically, the reason they do this is that every single one of them senses deep down the presence of their own feminine side. Nothing frightens them more than the outside world seeing that, and rejecting, punishing and condemning them for it. To the little child who is dependent on the father as provider and protector of their very life, they've learned all too well that to be feminine is to be weak, and to be weak is to die.

[RKP5637]

24. You make an excellent point IMO! n/t

[Incitatus]

25. wow +1

[MrScorpio]

26. Right wingers love this winners vs lovers system

So they can choose the (worthy) winners and piss on the (sorry) losers.

It's all about a bunch of small minded right wings assholes who delight in boosting their own gigantic egos.

And you're so right, they are truly sociopathic and callous.

Sadistic in every sense of the word.