Lack of empathy unhealthy for society

Jerry Bitts, Las Vegas

Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010 | 2:04 a.m.

Regarding the Las Vegas Sun’s Wednesday story, “A lifeline at stake — politics drive Congress’ inability to extend jobless benefits to 2 million people”:

Felecia and Ernie Lovitt stare out at me from the front page of the Sun. It is “Modern American Gothic.” Felecia has her pet cockatiel perched on her right shoulder like a good angel of hope. Ernie has lost his job, the unemployment benefits are running out, and soon the house will be gone. The man stands slightly in the background, a security guard who is now having difficulty providing for their economic security.

This is not just a picture of Las Vegas, however, it is also a portrait of America. The “richest country in the world” does not provide the safety net that other democracies provide their people. The Republican Party blocks the meager help we give, unless the Democrats agree to more tax cuts for the rich.

The right wing explains all of this with their myth of “American exceptionalism,” that we are a special country because we have the freedom to work in our own interests without social responsibility. It is a view that many of its supporters find in the books of Ayn Rand.

To the Rand faithful, those who are receiving unemployment benefits are parasitic collectivists who steal from the producers. Rand’s superheroes are singularly self-centered characters who are not even aware of the value of other people. It is an unhealthy social philosophy without the empathy to realize that one might some day also need the support that a civilized society can provide.