Democrats must strike a balance between strength and empathy
Empathy is an obscenity in Elon Musk’s vocabulary. The words care, share and fair are not in the MAGA lexicon.
The Tesla CEO exposed his contempt for compassion in an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan. The headline in the CNN digital story says it all, “Elon Musk wants to save Western civilization from empathy.” The hit 1960s song by Jackie DeShannon, “What the world Needs Now (is Love, Sweet Love),” is not in the rotation on Musk’s Spotify playlist but “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones probably gets lots of action.
President Trump’s enforcer told Rogan, “The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy, the empathy exploit.” He went on to say, “There they’re exploiting a bug in Western civilization, which is the empathy response.”
Musk pointed to seniors who are recipients of Social Security in the same interview. He portrays the program as a fraudulent “Ponzi Scheme” even though Social Security has saved millions of Americans from deprivation and despair in their twilight years.
He also took a shot at immigrants and accused them of exploiting the “bug” in his uncaring authoritarian system. The very same people, like my great grandparents, who come to the U.S. seeking political freedom and economic opportunity for themselves and their children. The immigrants who made this a great nation built on their blood, sweat and tears.
Foolish me, I always thought that the flaws in civilization were the destructive wars that cause senseless deaths, mass famine and widespread homelessness. Little did I know. You can make a strong argument that the greed that leaves millions in abject poverty to satisfy the whims of bloodless billionaires was the real bug in our behavior. I would have never guessed that empathy is the big problem facing the modern world.
A student once asked the famous anthologist Margaret Mead what the first sign of civilization was. She replied that the first sign was a healed human femur. It was a sign that a wounded person must have received help from others. Helping someone else is where civilization starts.
Musk may not have much sympathy for seniors, immigrants or hungry kids but he does have a soft spot for cruel and callous dictators who were responsible for the murders of tens of millions of people. In his now deleted diatribe that he shared on X, he wrote “Stalin, Mao and Hitler didn’t murder. Their public sector employees did.” Musk’s attitude explains his buddy Trump’s loving embrace of the Russian murderous dictator, Vladimir Putin.
The Trump and Musk crusade against empathy is vividly apparent in wholesale draconian budget cuts.
There have been untold Trump unfeeling cuts in vital federal programs, but one outrageous example stands out. Last week the U.S. Department of Education eliminated funding for a program which gave schools the money to buy fresh food for students from local farmers and fishermen. It put much needed money into the hands of cash-strapped farmers and put healthy food into the stomachs of hungry kids. It was a win-win for everyone except for MAGA brutalists.
This is the worst of both worlds for struggling middle class and poor families. Working families are having an even harder time making ends meet from rising inflation, which Trump pledged to reduce on Day One of his second term. Meanwhile, their financial struggles will only get worse because of the president’s call for blockbuster tariff increases and his destruction of the social safety net that protects families during tough times.
The Trump faithful love to quote scripture but they never mention Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of St. Matthew. “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they will be filled.”
No one will ever confuse Trump and his courtiers with the Care Bears. Democrats ooze with empathy but don’t show enough spine. My party needs to strike a balance between strength and empathy because uncaring Republicans under Trump never will.
Brad Bannon is a national Democratic strategist and CEO of Bannon Communications Research which polls for Democrats, labor unions and progressive issue groups. He hosts the popular progressive podcast on power, politics and policy, Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon.
Topics
-
An Elon Musk Friend, Antonio Gracias, Joins His Effort on Social Security
The involvement of Antonio Gracias, an investor who has known Elon Musk for two decades, suggests that Mr. Musk has made overhauling the Social Security Administration a priority.The New York Times - 3d -
Elon Musk and DOGE Keep Eyes on Social Security
The tech billionaire has repeatedly suggested, without evidence, that Social Security is rife with fraud, even as President Trump denies plans to cut those benefits.The New York Times - 3d -
Elon Musk Suggests DOGE Team Will Scrutinize Social Security and Entitlement Spending
In an interview with Larry Kudlow, Elon Musk claimed that fraud in Social Security and other major programs was “the big one to eliminate.”The New York Times - Mar. 11 -
Senate Democrats call for USDA funding for local food banks, schools to be restored
Senate Democrats called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to restore funding to local food banks and schools, after it canceled $1 billion in food purchase programs throughout the ...The Hill - 1d -
Schumer assails Musk for claiming Social Security rife with fraud
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) on Tuesday slammed tech billionaire Elon Musk for claiming that Social Security is plagued by widespread fraud and that as many as 20 million “dead” ...The Hill - Mar. 11 -
Trump, Musk fuel fears of Social Security cuts with 'fraud' talk
President Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk are ratcheting up false rhetoric about Social Security, repeatedly claiming the program wastes hundreds of billions of dollars in fraudulent ...The Hill - 6d -
Sen. Mark Kelly on Ukraine aid, Elon Musk's criticism and U.S. responsibility
Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democratic lawmaker and Navy combat veteran, is standing by his call for continued U.S. support for Ukraine after visiting the country. His remarks drew criticism from Elon Musk, ...CBS News - Mar. 11 -
Elon Musk was right — Social Security is a Ponzi scheme
Social Security is unsustainable. The rare, brave soul who admits this truth can expect to suffer the consequences.The Hill - 6d -
Trump downplays infighting between Elon Musk, Marco Rubio, other officials
President Trump is backing a House Republican plan to avert a government shutdown next week. He also played down reports of in-fighting in his Cabinet with advisor Elon Musk. Nikole Killion has the ...CBS News - Mar. 8
More from The Hill
-
Democrat on Trump-Putin call: 'Russia remains the obstacle to peace'
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said it's clear that Russia "remains the obstacle to peace" following a highly anticipated phone call between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on ...The Hill - 44m -
Trump, Putin agree on limited ceasefire in Ukraine
PRESIDENT TRUMP and Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to make progress on a limited ceasefire agreement in Ukraine during a lengthy phone call on Tuesday that the White House says is the ...The Hill - 47m -
Kentucky lawmakers pass legislation removing conversion therapy restrictions
Kentucky lawmakers passed a measure Friday seeking to protect the controversial practice known as conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth, repealing an executive order from Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear ...The Hill - 1h -
Democrats ask Trump to remove Patel as acting ATF director
A group of Democrats are calling on President Trump to remove FBI Director Kash Patel as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Fourteen Democratic ...The Hill - 1h -
Democrats push back on plans to use military installations as migrant detention centers
Democratic lawmakers are pushing back against Trump administration plans to detain thousands of immigrants living in the country illegally at U.S. military sites. In a letter signed by nine ...The Hill - 1h
More in Politics
-
Democrat on Trump-Putin call: 'Russia remains the obstacle to peace'
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said it's clear that Russia "remains the obstacle to peace" following a highly anticipated phone call between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on ...The Hill - 44m -
Trump, Putin agree on limited ceasefire in Ukraine
PRESIDENT TRUMP and Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to make progress on a limited ceasefire agreement in Ukraine during a lengthy phone call on Tuesday that the White House says is the ...The Hill - 47m -
Kornacki: White men, white women and the gap within the gender gap
NBC News National Political Correspondent Steve Kornacki digs into a NBC News poll that shows divisions along race and gender lines in how the American electorate views DEI initiatives and more.NBC News - 54m -
Kentucky lawmakers pass legislation removing conversion therapy restrictions
Kentucky lawmakers passed a measure Friday seeking to protect the controversial practice known as conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth, repealing an executive order from Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear ...The Hill - 1h -
Trump must understand Putin ‘respects strength’ during talks over Ukraine war: Fmr. Amb. to Russia
Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul discusses the call between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and what talks could mean for the end of the war in Ukraine.NBC News - 1h