Conservative leaders across the Atlantic are citing the concept of "suicidal empathy" to justify sharp policy shifts, such as proposing a 25% reduction in British welfare spending by 2030. Backed by books framing empathy as a moral defect, the movement has resonated deeply with specific voter bases, including white evangelical Protestants who largely view empathy as dangerous. Figures like JD Vance and Elon Musk continue to popularize these ideas, depicting widespread public compassion as an exploit that damages Western civilization.
Key points
Political and cultural rhetoric is actively shifting toward characterizing empathy as a c…: Political and cultural rhetoric is actively shifting toward characterizing empathy as a critical weakness in modern Western civilization.
Polling reveals a stark partisan divide, with registered Democrats overwhelmingly embraci…: Polling reveals a stark partisan divide, with registered Democrats overwhelmingly embracing empathy compared to barely over half of Republicans.
Conservative leaders are prioritizing narrow localized compassion over universal empathy…: Conservative leaders are prioritizing narrow localized compassion over universal empathy to justify spending cuts and ideological shifts.
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Towards the end of the summer, the Tory-Reform defector Robert Jenrick authored an op-ed piece for the Daily Telegraph about the seemingly impossible economics of rising benefits bills because of mental ill-health. In his capacity as Reform’s Treasury spokesman, his task was to big up its plans to cut 25% of so-called welfare spending by 2030, and thereby tackle what he called the state’s “suicidal empathy”.
Straight away, I wondered where this most opportunistic politician had borrowed that phrase from, and instantly found out: a book with the same title, published this year by the Canadian academic Gad Saad, whom the dust jacket describes as having particular expertise in “the use of evolutionary psychology in marketing and consumer behaviour”. It comes with an endorsement from Elon Musk. “Western civilisation is doomed unless the core weakness of suicidal empathy is recognised and actions are taken that are hard but necessary for survival,” says the world’s richest man. “All of Gad’s books, including this one, are great.”
Unfortunately, Suicidal Empathy is not great. It is, in fact, a baggy mess, glueing together…
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