Lack of Empathy for Political Advancement

Europe’s nonchalant attitude towards the dehumanization of  people of color is both horrible and shameful. Europe is addicted to the idea of power and will do whatever it takes to keep their interests at the forefront of every political decision, even if that means losing all empathy for fellow human beings. They believe in the hierarchical nature of society and deem others as beneath them. This begs the question - is the only way for a state to become a superpower is to lose compassion for other states and their interests? 

Europe exploited people of color for their own gain and associated them with all things that are unworthy and beneath them. This exploitation was often justified through a white version of Christianity, which explained the inhuman actions of Europe by viewing Europe as somehow more advanced both morally and politically. Although Europe was deemed as heartless and selfish towards people of color and those not in their interests, they were also renowned for their power. They were feared and envied. This could have to do with their approach to dealing with societal issues. Their lack of empathy seems to push them to make the difficult decisions that promote their own interests at the expense of others, specifically people of color. Europe believes in the idea that there is a hierarchical order of things and are able to prioritize their needs over other states' safety. In reality, Europe themselves often were not better than other nations and depending on how it is interpreted, could be viewed as exactly the same as Asia and Africa in development and overall moral standings. Europe was able to climb in power quickly and efficiently and it could be argued that if they were too concerned with powers outside of their interests, their rise in political stature would have been much more difficult.

The idea that lack of empathy creates power translates to America’s use of nuclear weapons. A taboo is created around the use and creation of weapons of mass destruction because of the devastation they can cause. A nuclear war could obliterate mass amounts of people and destroy countries entirely. With this knowledge, why would the United States ever justify using these weapons to win a war? Although the United States were trying to save the lives of their own people they had to destroy the lives of many others by bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The desire to win and prove their power and strength outweighed their compassion for Japan. This ideology contributes to the fact that the United States is a superpower. The United States, like Europe, rose to power without care and will do whatever it takes to accomplish their agenda. It seems like every major state shows some version of this form of selfishness for their own state to rise in respect amongst other states. 

This all leads to a bigger question - Does the end justify the means? Europe, along with the United States, can lose empathy and compassion towards citizens of other countries. Their rise to power is greatly dependent on the fall of others. This elevates their status in international relations and creates fear. This so-called fear also acts as a means of protection for their homeland, as no other country would have the desire to challenge a country that can at times lack empathy and compassion for those they consider as an adversary. States who think only in their own interest develop power faster and also keep it longer. Although power may be beneficial in some ways, is it really worth causing mass destruction and casualties? They executed their plans for improving their government and international relations without empathy, only considering how their own nations will be affected. They promote their ideology and direct their power over other states, such as people of color or smaller and less significant nations.