General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why are so many Americans so heartless and uncaring? [View all]dawg
(10,624 posts)fall into poverty and ruin in our harshly capitalistic society.
Living under constant fear and a sense of dread is hard for most people. We are constantly exposed to our brothers and sisters who are suffering in ways that should be unimaginable in a country as rich as ours. Some people manage their fears by imagining that all those who fall through the cracks somehow deserve it. That way, they can feel safe, because they work hard and know that they don't "deserve" that fate, so it can't happen to them. (Delusional, right?)
And, of course, if people deserve their fate, you really can't have too much sypathy for them. They "chose" to be that way, after all. In fact, helping them just drags the rest of "us" down. Or so the thought process goes.