“Imagine if on Oct 8 2023 the UN Security Council voted unanimously to condemn Hamas for war crimes, demanded the immediate return of all hostages, and ordered Qatar to extradite Hamas leadership to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where they could have been tried for War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide.
Had that occurred, think of how many people in Gaza would be alive today.
I think it was much worse for those immersed in progressive spaces, as they watched erstwhile friends and allies rapidly turn on them with an irrational ferocity, as the veneer of civilization was stripped away revealing the barbarism beneath.
And sadly there is a name for that predictable phenomenon.
If you’ve ever wondered how millions of seemingly ordinary people could have enabled centuries of vicious anti Jewish persecution, through the first pre Israel Holocaust and culminating in the Oct 7 massacres and beyond, now you know.
This whole syndrome is reinforced by the historical ignorance and cognitive blindness taught in our schools up to and including the social sciences and humanities departments of western universities, driving our civilization to decline and fall.
Gaad Saad well deserves a citation on this topic. His concept of'suicidal empathy' is a profoundly relevant in explaining aspects of the behaviour of the useful idiot west.
Love Gad Saad! I perhaps should’ve included some of his ideas here as they’re so relevant. Maybe I’ll write more on this in a future piece. It’s a huge topic, and one that really underpins so much of the erosion we’re witnessing in the West.
I wonder what we can do to expose who is funding and promoting this. Our media so willingly promotes it daily and with their bias proudly showing. Where are the journalists who actually investigate and help to bring these things to light?
Sadly I feel like real journalism these days is so rare or doesn’t exist at all. Journalism has become less about the pursuit of reporting the truth and more about pushing an ideological point of view. And the algorithm and outrage culture fuels this. The rare moments of honest reporting either get buried or ignored in favor of clickbait and outrage porn.
Most of the press is lazy and agenda driven. They want to be the first to publish without actually doing the work required to verify and fact check their sources. It’s like whispering down the lane but it’s not a game, it just has huge consequences for Israel and the Jewish communities.
Thank you Lucy. Beatifully written. I've been trying to warn people about the weaponisation of emotions, but have never been able to find the right words to get my point across. This is perfect. I'll be sharing and referencing it going forward. 🙏❤️
Thank you so much 🙏🏼 It’s such a big topic that is underpinning so much of the erosion of western values we’re seeing. Could probably write a book on it! I think Gad Saad has/is.
Lucy, thank you for writing this. Truly an expose on this syndrome. My family and I come from the justice movement too. My own sister helped pull women and children out of sex trafficking in Thailand. I traveled the ME, Africa, and S. America to combat aids and work in education iniatives in the midst of conflict. You nailed it, when you actually see and experience the depth of hell throughout the world you have a more balanced view of suffering and even then, I knew I was addicted to being in those situations. As if my Western peaceful lifestyle was in itself a sin I needed to pay for… but that left my body broken and with PSTD from both the experiences of strife and leaders who benefit from young people like me, idealistic, to make themselves rich and look as heroes. Humanity is a shit show. The nuances of our emotions are absolutely depraved and we have no idea how they work because we live in a rosy land. You nailed it BIG time! In the midst of this false empathy the most enduring hate is thriving. It’s now clear, Jews don’t matter. There is an old prophecy in the book of Zechariah 12:3 ‘On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it.’ G-d knew our depravity and He’s using us, Jews, to expose the very same thing He’s contending for humanity. Jews are nothing special, except He’s used the Jew to confound the ‘wise’ and reveal the heart for their sake, if they dare go there.
Thank you for sharing this. That line “as if my Western peaceful lifestyle was in itself a sin I needed to pay for” seems to hit the nail on the head. It’s striking how that guilt when not tempered with real perspective or maturity can turn into moral absolutism. And obnoxious, self-hating ideologies.
Many people feel the discomfort of privilege but rather than sit with it and seek complexity, they perform contrition. And too often Jews become the symbolic target of that need to “atone.”
And you’re right that in this theatre of selective empathy, ancient hatreds are being revived. That Zechariah quote is chilling in its resonance with what we’re watching now. Thank you again for sharing your experience.
I got to say that feeling of guilt and feeling like there’s a ‘sin’ to be payed… might be built in when we see the downtrodden, widow or the orphan.
It is my strong belief that if we kill G-d (oh Nietzsche!) out of justice efforts we become the very monster we seem to fight.
Only He knows how to handle that rage we feel when an animal is abused or when we know a child is being sexually molested, killed in strife or suffers hunger. Perhaps it’s His heart initially. But we were meant to walk the journey with Him and not on our own because He is the one that is using us as conduits of love and restoration. But again, only a very tiny portion of the world minds Him. It’s interesting that not even the UN or Amnesty International or Docs w/o Borders have proven to be a bastion of justice. I so longed to work for these orgs. Pff… G-d spared me by giving me a chronic illness.
So that begs the question… can humans do justice consistently without G-d?
On another note… I was reminded of your post as I heard an episode on Freakonomics Radio by Stephen Dubner on spite and the intersection with apparent altruism. A truly amazing production by Stephen Dubner with a passion for empirical analysis and various viewpoints. Stephen is a Jew BTW. The whole episode just screamed suicidal empathy of college students who love to support BDS and the destruction of western civilization. Of course, it mentioned nothing of Israel or Pro-Palestinian causes but I couldn’t help find the connections. You might find it interesting. Here’s a link! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519?i=1000714378457
“Imagine if on Oct 8 2023 the UN Security Council voted unanimously to condemn Hamas for war crimes, demanded the immediate return of all hostages, and ordered Qatar to extradite Hamas leadership to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where they could have been tried for War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide.
Had that occurred, think of how many people in Gaza would be alive today.
Then ask yourself why that didn’t happen.”
I ran this through Chat GPT (I had to argue some points so the original response was much more evasive).
Your counterfactual is strongest as a moral and diplomatic thought experiment, but weaker as a prediction of what would likely have happened. It correctly highlights that an immediate, unanimous condemnation of Hamas, an unequivocal demand for the release of the hostages, and a united insistence on compliance with international humanitarian law would have sent a powerful political signal. Such unity might have strengthened moderates, isolated Hamas diplomatically, and altered the international environment in which Israel made subsequent decisions. That is a reasonable hypothesis, even if it cannot be demonstrated.
Where the argument becomes less persuasive is in attributing substantial downstream events to actions the Security Council was unlikely to achieve. The Council is a political body constrained by vetoes and competing national interests, not an independent court. It could not simply order Qatar to surrender Hamas leaders with any certainty of compliance, nor could it guarantee ICC prosecutions or arrests. Moreover, Israel's publicly stated objective after October 7 extended beyond punishing Hamas' leadership to dismantling Hamas' military and governing capacity in Gaza. Even if Hamas leaders abroad had immediately faced legal proceedings, it does not necessarily follow that Israel would have abandoned or significantly curtailed its military campaign.
The broader point, however, remains intellectually and ethically significant. The Security Council's inability to produce a unified response after one of the worst terrorist attacks in Israel's history arguably weakened international credibility from the outset. One can reasonably argue that an early consensus—condemning Hamas unequivocally, demanding the hostages' release, recognizing Israel's right to defend itself while simultaneously insisting on strict adherence to the laws of armed conflict—might have created stronger incentives for restraint on all sides. Whether that would have saved thousands of lives cannot be known, but it is a serious and legitimate counterfactual because it asks how different diplomacy, rather than different military capabilities, might have changed the course of the conflict.
Been reflecting and exploring how my empathy has been unknowingly ensconced and then misappropriated by the world I consider my safe-haven. I was suffocating, but could neither see nor define the quicksand all about me. Thank you. Congrats to newest member of your family. Very happy for you, your husband and your kids!
“Imagine if on Oct 8 2023 the UN Security Council voted unanimously to condemn Hamas for war crimes, demanded the immediate return of all hostages, and ordered Qatar to extradite Hamas leadership to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where they could have been tried for War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide.
Had that occurred, think of how many people in Gaza would be alive today.
Then ask yourself why that didn’t happen.”
Montana Tucker
Great quote. Profoundly sad too. The response and global actions following Oct 7 turned my understanding of the world upside down.
I think it was much worse for those immersed in progressive spaces, as they watched erstwhile friends and allies rapidly turn on them with an irrational ferocity, as the veneer of civilization was stripped away revealing the barbarism beneath.
And sadly there is a name for that predictable phenomenon.
If you’ve ever wondered how millions of seemingly ordinary people could have enabled centuries of vicious anti Jewish persecution, through the first pre Israel Holocaust and culminating in the Oct 7 massacres and beyond, now you know.
That describes me, I’ve “lost” four people - almost five. Better to know.
That's a brilliant thought experiment.
It was a great comment - really gets to the heart of the matter and hopefully makes people think twice.
This whole syndrome is reinforced by the historical ignorance and cognitive blindness taught in our schools up to and including the social sciences and humanities departments of western universities, driving our civilization to decline and fall.
Agreed!
Gaad Saad well deserves a citation on this topic. His concept of'suicidal empathy' is a profoundly relevant in explaining aspects of the behaviour of the useful idiot west.
https://www.northwood.edu/news/parasitic-ideas-and-suicidal-empathy-are-killing-the-west/
Love Gad Saad! I perhaps should’ve included some of his ideas here as they’re so relevant. Maybe I’ll write more on this in a future piece. It’s a huge topic, and one that really underpins so much of the erosion we’re witnessing in the West.
Interesting, will take a look at it.
I wonder what we can do to expose who is funding and promoting this. Our media so willingly promotes it daily and with their bias proudly showing. Where are the journalists who actually investigate and help to bring these things to light?
Sadly I feel like real journalism these days is so rare or doesn’t exist at all. Journalism has become less about the pursuit of reporting the truth and more about pushing an ideological point of view. And the algorithm and outrage culture fuels this. The rare moments of honest reporting either get buried or ignored in favor of clickbait and outrage porn.
Most of the press is lazy and agenda driven. They want to be the first to publish without actually doing the work required to verify and fact check their sources. It’s like whispering down the lane but it’s not a game, it just has huge consequences for Israel and the Jewish communities.
The Hidden Hand by Kinsella is an interesting (and frightening) walk through the Information War.
Enlightening piece and much appreciated!
Much appreciate the feedback 🙏🏼
Thank you Lucy. Beatifully written. I've been trying to warn people about the weaponisation of emotions, but have never been able to find the right words to get my point across. This is perfect. I'll be sharing and referencing it going forward. 🙏❤️
Thank you so much 🙏🏼 It’s such a big topic that is underpinning so much of the erosion of western values we’re seeing. Could probably write a book on it! I think Gad Saad has/is.
Lucy, thank you for writing this. Truly an expose on this syndrome. My family and I come from the justice movement too. My own sister helped pull women and children out of sex trafficking in Thailand. I traveled the ME, Africa, and S. America to combat aids and work in education iniatives in the midst of conflict. You nailed it, when you actually see and experience the depth of hell throughout the world you have a more balanced view of suffering and even then, I knew I was addicted to being in those situations. As if my Western peaceful lifestyle was in itself a sin I needed to pay for… but that left my body broken and with PSTD from both the experiences of strife and leaders who benefit from young people like me, idealistic, to make themselves rich and look as heroes. Humanity is a shit show. The nuances of our emotions are absolutely depraved and we have no idea how they work because we live in a rosy land. You nailed it BIG time! In the midst of this false empathy the most enduring hate is thriving. It’s now clear, Jews don’t matter. There is an old prophecy in the book of Zechariah 12:3 ‘On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it.’ G-d knew our depravity and He’s using us, Jews, to expose the very same thing He’s contending for humanity. Jews are nothing special, except He’s used the Jew to confound the ‘wise’ and reveal the heart for their sake, if they dare go there.
Thank you for sharing this. That line “as if my Western peaceful lifestyle was in itself a sin I needed to pay for” seems to hit the nail on the head. It’s striking how that guilt when not tempered with real perspective or maturity can turn into moral absolutism. And obnoxious, self-hating ideologies.
Many people feel the discomfort of privilege but rather than sit with it and seek complexity, they perform contrition. And too often Jews become the symbolic target of that need to “atone.”
And you’re right that in this theatre of selective empathy, ancient hatreds are being revived. That Zechariah quote is chilling in its resonance with what we’re watching now. Thank you again for sharing your experience.
I got to say that feeling of guilt and feeling like there’s a ‘sin’ to be payed… might be built in when we see the downtrodden, widow or the orphan.
It is my strong belief that if we kill G-d (oh Nietzsche!) out of justice efforts we become the very monster we seem to fight.
Only He knows how to handle that rage we feel when an animal is abused or when we know a child is being sexually molested, killed in strife or suffers hunger. Perhaps it’s His heart initially. But we were meant to walk the journey with Him and not on our own because He is the one that is using us as conduits of love and restoration. But again, only a very tiny portion of the world minds Him. It’s interesting that not even the UN or Amnesty International or Docs w/o Borders have proven to be a bastion of justice. I so longed to work for these orgs. Pff… G-d spared me by giving me a chronic illness.
So that begs the question… can humans do justice consistently without G-d?
On another note… I was reminded of your post as I heard an episode on Freakonomics Radio by Stephen Dubner on spite and the intersection with apparent altruism. A truly amazing production by Stephen Dubner with a passion for empirical analysis and various viewpoints. Stephen is a Jew BTW. The whole episode just screamed suicidal empathy of college students who love to support BDS and the destruction of western civilization. Of course, it mentioned nothing of Israel or Pro-Palestinian causes but I couldn’t help find the connections. You might find it interesting. Here’s a link! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519?i=1000714378457
A must read...
Brilliantly articulated. Thank you
This was brilliant Lucy! Thank you!
Thank you for reading 🙏🏼
“Imagine if on Oct 8 2023 the UN Security Council voted unanimously to condemn Hamas for war crimes, demanded the immediate return of all hostages, and ordered Qatar to extradite Hamas leadership to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where they could have been tried for War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide.
Had that occurred, think of how many people in Gaza would be alive today.
Then ask yourself why that didn’t happen.”
I ran this through Chat GPT (I had to argue some points so the original response was much more evasive).
Your counterfactual is strongest as a moral and diplomatic thought experiment, but weaker as a prediction of what would likely have happened. It correctly highlights that an immediate, unanimous condemnation of Hamas, an unequivocal demand for the release of the hostages, and a united insistence on compliance with international humanitarian law would have sent a powerful political signal. Such unity might have strengthened moderates, isolated Hamas diplomatically, and altered the international environment in which Israel made subsequent decisions. That is a reasonable hypothesis, even if it cannot be demonstrated.
Where the argument becomes less persuasive is in attributing substantial downstream events to actions the Security Council was unlikely to achieve. The Council is a political body constrained by vetoes and competing national interests, not an independent court. It could not simply order Qatar to surrender Hamas leaders with any certainty of compliance, nor could it guarantee ICC prosecutions or arrests. Moreover, Israel's publicly stated objective after October 7 extended beyond punishing Hamas' leadership to dismantling Hamas' military and governing capacity in Gaza. Even if Hamas leaders abroad had immediately faced legal proceedings, it does not necessarily follow that Israel would have abandoned or significantly curtailed its military campaign.
The broader point, however, remains intellectually and ethically significant. The Security Council's inability to produce a unified response after one of the worst terrorist attacks in Israel's history arguably weakened international credibility from the outset. One can reasonably argue that an early consensus—condemning Hamas unequivocally, demanding the hostages' release, recognizing Israel's right to defend itself while simultaneously insisting on strict adherence to the laws of armed conflict—might have created stronger incentives for restraint on all sides. Whether that would have saved thousands of lives cannot be known, but it is a serious and legitimate counterfactual because it asks how different diplomacy, rather than different military capabilities, might have changed the course of the conflict.
Great piece. 👏👏👏
Been reflecting and exploring how my empathy has been unknowingly ensconced and then misappropriated by the world I consider my safe-haven. I was suffocating, but could neither see nor define the quicksand all about me. Thank you. Congrats to newest member of your family. Very happy for you, your husband and your kids!
Nowhere did I say empathy is bad. One of the final lines explicitly states that empathy matters.
Nowhere do I equate my position with “moral clarity” through empathy.
If you’re not going to engage in good faith and just make things up, kindly move on.