The American Spectator

AmSpecBlog

Anger and the Dems without compassion

By John Batchelor on 2.16.06 @ 10:44AM

Academic source identifies a fresh way to look at the extremes of political discourse. A speaker who identifies himself or herself as angry at the opposition, very very angry, who consistently takes far far positions with regard political disputes, this same person shows surprisingly little compassion for other human beings. This does not mean only that he or she only demonstrates little compassion for his or her opponent in a dispute, debate, political season; this means he or she demonstrates little compassion for any human being at any time.

The more stridnet the op, the less compassionate the op, the less charitable, the less generous, the less altruistic, philanthropic, empathetic, sympathetic.

Transating this to immediate debates: suggests that the extreme positions now taken by leadership of the Dems, such as Dean, Kennedy, Pelosi, and so forth, represents an anger that is without compassion in all directions. It could mean that the Dem leadership is now trapped in a worldview that cannot think grandly or freshly about the troubles of the planet. Loving the unlovable -- a measure of compassion -- may be out of reach of the Bush-haters and Cheney-revilers.

Puzzle.