Re: "Rich People Just Care Less"

To the editor:



Daniel Goleman (Rich people just care less, 10/6/13) speaks of an 'empathy gap' borne of differences in social status whereby powerful (including wealthy) individuals are less likely to experience compassion for those less fortunate.  He speaks of the policy implications being played out in the current political morass in Washington adding 'elected officials don't even have to encounter many voters from the rival party (due to gerrymandering), much less empathize with them'.  But this observation fails to take into an important consideration.

There is not only a lack of empathy, but a willful effort on the part of Tea Party Republicans to frighten their own constituents into feeling threatened by the very programs intended to help them.  Perversely, the most vulnerable sector of the population is being disempowered by being made to feel overpowered by a government with sinister intentions. How is this being done?  With an all out campaign, funded by wealthy Republicans like the Koch brothers, to derail Obamacare in any way possible - even if this means shutting down government (A crisis months in the making, 10/6/13). 





Respectfully submitted,


Larry S. Sandberg