A culture of cruelty

[DissidentVoice]

I found this. I know it's a couple of years old, but I found it to be disturbingly true today.

It covers everything from Gabby Giffords almost being murdered, to the zealousness of those dismantling what little social safety nets we have (very poor in comparison with other nations), "welfare to workfare" (Bill Clinton selling-out to Newt Gingrich), the public option on health care (President Obama caving to Max Baucus), the demonisation of Muslims, and, of course, the encouragement of this psychopathic behaviour by the far-right media.

http://www.truth-out.org/archive/item/94040:americas-culture-of-cruelty

Ironically, it is written by an American holding a professorship at a Canadian university (McMaster in Hamilton, Ontario).

Why the HELL have we let it get to this point?

Are we so anaesthetised by "American Idol" and whichever Kardashian is hogging the limelight that we just don't care any more?

[Demoiselle]

1. Why have we let it get to this point?...

Greed and apathy.

[enigmatic]

2. When you relentlessly demonize Empathy

rather than celebrating it as a virtue, it become easier for those people to use cruelty as a battering ram against decency.

[DissidentVoice]

3. And call it "personal responsibility"

"Personal responsibility" has become nothing but a codeword for right-wing smearing of the poor and needy as "takers," "lazy," "moochers," and, of course, "my tax dollars paying for them to have 10 kids, live in Section 8 housing, use welfare to buy crack but have big screen TV sets."