The primary cause of this lack of empathy is basically the difference in problems of people living in suburbs and cities with people living more out in the country. The problems each encounter are completely different than the other and so this contributes to a lack of empathy to the others problems. And this seems to be getting worse and worse over time.
What caused this?
Likely the cause was first 9-11, then the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, then the Great Recession caused by the loss of 6 trillion dollars in these wars and also the fact that our infrastructure was lost to this 6 trillion dollar loss as well throughout America. Then middle Class people lost 75% of their real wealth usually by losing their homes through the great Recession. Whereas the liberal educated people in cities and suburbs tended to be invested in the stock market and so their investments grew whereas the middle Class and poor never recovered from the great recession and this caused great great anger because of losing their ability to retire because of losing their homes during the great recession.
So, you have this incredible anger in the middle Class that is no longer middle Class and their revenge on the richer people was Trump.
But, Trump is not the cause he is more of an effect of this rage of the middle Class and poor whose lives were completely destroyed by the Great Recession. This is where the extreme lack of empathy came from the middle Class and poor especially out in the country away from the cities and suburbs.
Whereas the educated middle Class and above that live in the suburbs and cities likely think that their country cousins are just uneducated hicks but there is much more to it than this of course.
So, the suburb and city dwellers no longer understand the poor and middle Class and one of the reasons is their life experiences are just too different for them to understand each other.
How did Americans bridge this gap from 1941 until the 1970s?
The Draft equalized men and this changed everything and made the rich and poor and middle Class men friends for life because of being veterans and soldiers together.
But, I'm not sure now returning to the draft would be useful in any way at all.
The only thing now that might bring us all together is many many people dying from Global Climate change being reported here in the U.S. Somehow if we were all suffering regarding the same thing: Global Warming, we might all find a way to care about each other once again.
Unless the American Dream resurrects itself somehow or we all are suffering the same kinds of horrors we will never bond and be one nation again and we are headed for potentially a violent revolution at some point in the near or far future where states secede from the union and we become 2 or more nations rather than one.
The biggest problem I can presently see is the wealth disparity. There is no American Dream at present where anyone can be rich like before because it mostly isn't possible without the kinds of social programs like you have in Canada. So, in Canada for example, a poor person can be rich but not really in the U.S. as much anymore. This "Lack of genuine hope" in America creates the need for revenge of the country poor and middle Class on the rich whose savings (their homes) were ripped from them by the Great Recession. Without compassion for these wronged people there is no hope for our nation.
So, Trump is the revenge of the middle Class and poor who lost everything in the Great Recession and now want revenge on all those who are successful through education in our nation. The problem is that this will destroy our democracy completely.
So, unless these people are given a "Hand up" and more opportunities like Medicare for all or free education through college our country is likely over as a democracy for good or ill and we will swiftly or slowly move towards something like a 2nd Civil War with state against state and locality against other localities.
The true anger and the real harm done to the middle Class and poor must be addressed or revolution will occur on many different levels now. And much of this anger is directed at our banks and banking system and Wall Street and maybe rightly so.
As the taxes of the middle Class and poor bailed out the banking system and wall street, what did the middle Class and poor get? Nothing. And this is where the deep anger comes from and as it festers and so far has brought us Trump what is next that will come from this unrequited anger and rage of the middle Class and poor who are disenfranchised from their homes and wealth by the Great Recession?
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