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ABE WON’T BE SILENT - It feels like humanity has fallen out of fashion. Clearly, it’s NOT on trend. Influencer culture has siphoned off any remnants of kindness toward fellow man/woman/other for the sake of more likes and followers on social media. This begs the question: has clickbait culture proved my theory that humanity is over? Especially for a huge segment of the population who have become keyboard warriors, wannabe newscasters, and spokesmodels for assorted Chinese crap being sold on TikTok Shop and Amazon.
[SIDEBAR] As Albert Schweitzer once said, “The purpose of human life is to serve and to show compassion, and the will to help others.” Don’t tell that to Christian Nationalists—or Elon Musk and his DOGE creatures who have blocked or deleted the word humanity from their consciousness.
The concept of empathy, of caring for others beyond our immediate circles, has become selective, performative, and in some cases downright absent in certain public discourses. As I reflect on this, trying to pinpoint a turning point that had me wondering WTAF, I remembered noticing a distinct shift that may have started around the time of the war in Ukraine.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, the international community's swift and united response proved that democratic countries matter. Here in America, we rallied like no one’s business as we have for so many causes like the fight against the Vietnamese War, George Floyd, and the resistance to the first Trump presidency. We yellow and blued ourselves into a tizzy, yet something shifted after a while. The very white faces of the Ukrainians began to shift the conversation and hence, humanity began teetering. Cracks appeared along political and racial lines. What started as an emotional response to seeing thousands being killed and displaced by a Putin the dictator—operative syllable DIC—the tone began to shift and the GOP, historically tough on Russia, experienced an ideological response with some of its most vocal members openly supporting Putin's narrative.
There was an undercurrent of resentment from communities of color, who questioned the disproportionate global attention and resources directed toward Ukraine—a nation whose population is predominantly—really—white. Their frustration wasn't unfounded; it highlighted the stark disparities in how the world responds to suffering depending on the victims' racial and cultural backgrounds.
Then came October 7. The world witnessed the horrific Hamas-led attack on Israel, as reported by major outlets like Reuters and BBC, documenting the brutality and its aftermath. The New York Times, for instance, faced criticism for initially publishing misleading headlines that implicated Israel without verifying facts—a glaring example of media bias that skews public perception and erodes trust. The brutality was undeniable, yet the global response revealed an even deeper fracture in our collective sense of humanity. Some openly celebrated the massacre; others justified it as "resistance." Meanwhile, displaced Palestinians became the new face of humanitarian concern—even though Hamas, the governing authority in Gaza, had instigated the war. Not to mention the heinous level of brutality, rape, and murder. Oh, right, and taking hundreds of hostages.
What I find particularly infuriating is the asymmetry in how humanity is applied here. It feels like a stark contrast to the universal compassion we should strive for, especially in times of conflict. Israel, the attacked party, continues to send aid to Gaza, despite the fact that Hamas uses civilians as human shields and diverts resources for its military objectives. In what other conflict have we seen the victimized nation provide aid to the territory of its aggressors? The world demands that Israel show more compassion while turning a blind eye to Hamas's atrocities and the complicity of those who support it. IN fact, Hamas has a huge fan base. Don’t even get me started because I will lose it.
[SIDEBAR] As François de La Rochefoucauld once said, “Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue,” which is where the term virtue signaling derives from, I guess.
Humanity, it seems, has become a political tool rather than a universal value. For instance, media coverage often amplifies certain tragedies while ignoring others, depending on political interests. We've witnessed a performative outpouring of empathy for some victims while others are dehumanized based on geopolitical agendas. If we are to reclaim our collective sense of humanity, we must apply it consistently—not only when it suits our ideological positions.
[SIDEBAR] As Viktor Frankl wrote in Man's Search for Meaning, "When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." This, from a man who survived the Holocaust. It’s people like Frankl and MY PARENTS who move on from tragedy to become their best selves.
We see patterns of selective humanity in other conflicts. The Syrian civil war, for instance, garnered far less sustained global attention compared to Ukraine, despite the staggering loss of life and human suffering. Media narratives, often influenced by geopolitical interests, in some cases shape which tragedies elicit widespread empathy and which are met with indifference. Make that make sense. It’s a new classic: a case of what's bad for the goose has to be bad for the gander. Because let's face it, none of this is good for either.
[SIDEBAR] Psychologist, Paul Bloom wrote about the limitations of empathy, arguing that compassion must be paired with rational analysis to be effective. “If humanity is to remain relevant, we must transcend the performative nature of selective empathy.”
Humanity cannot be a fleeting trend dictated by convenience. Lest we not forget the recent U.S. elections when 19 million people who voted for Joe Biden in 2020 did not turn out for Kamala Harris. This apathy, driven by dissatisfaction or disillusionment, reflects a broader societal indifference which led to Trump 2.0. By choosing not to vote, these guilty as charged—by me—subverters of a free society demonstrated a lack of compassion not just for ‘my fellow Americans’ but mostly odiously, for themselves.
Humanity requires participation, not passivity. Wake up—humanity isn't some seasonal fashion statement you toss on when it's convenient or when it helps you win an argument online. It's the core of who we are—or should be—even used to be…more so. The world doesn't need more hashtag realness; it needs honest, consistent compassion that doesn't disappear when the narrative shifts and doesn’t suit your argument. It must be a steadfast commitment to recognizing the inherent dignity of all people, regardless of the prevailing ideological winds of war.
(ABE GURKO is the executive producer of a documentary “LOUDER: The Soundtrack of Change,” about the extraordinary Women of Protest Music streaming on MAX. He's an Opinionator who hosts a podcast, "Won't Be Silent," engaging in conversations from the edge of democracy. Abe is a contributor to CityWatchLA.com. [email protected].)
