from what i’ve seen this is a very american phenomenon. a lot of yanks are concerningly quick to switch off their empathy when someone is “on the other side” and they often use the same kind of tactics they decry as horrific when it is used against them. (ostracism, ableism, what have you.) they often don’t have principles, just allegiances.

i’d say this is slightly more noticeable on the left than the right for the sole reason that the american right keeps its empathy off nearly all the time, while the left has it on by default but turns it off when someone’s vibes don’t match. but the core issue of critically low and conditional empathy is the same there.

and sure, idk how literally everyone around the world behaves, but at least the progressives i met (locally, outside the us) usually aren’t like that.