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Tech-bro’s ethics: “Suicidal empathy” [1]

['Aashirs Nani']

Date: 2026-05-23  

Attribution: msn.com

Our tech-bro oligarchs hold a lot of power over us through their enterprises and their political clout. So it’s good to know what they are thinking, what are their guiding principles, so that we can push back when necessary.

Probably a lot, like me, heard about Musk that empathy is “the fundamental weakness of Western civilization”. A crazy statement, but I knew not its source. This article clarifies that: https://time.com/article/2026/05/19/suicidal-empathy-elon-musk-gad-saad-/

The concept of “suicidal empathy” comes from Gad Saad, a Canadian marketing professor. His thesis is this: “”A society dies when it cares more about exhibiting infinite tolerance and empathy than invoking its survival instinct,” Saad argues in his book, Suicidal Empathy: Dying To Be Kind.Saad’s ideas have drawn frequent praise from prominent billionaires Bill Ackman and Elon Musk, who said suicidal empathy will “end civilization.“”

Saad says that Western civilization is in rapid decline due to “from open-border immigration policies under Biden and Trudeau, to DEI training, soft-on-crime policies, transgender activism, and Canada’s universal healthcare system.”

More:

“To the West, I say, be proud of your heritage, and defend it at all costs from its avowed enemies,” Saad said.

Finally:

“Saad also argues that people should start demanding reciprocity rather than asking for nothing in return, citing foreign aid that the U.S. and Canadian governments send to African countries as an example of suicidal empathy.

He also praises Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for eliminating “a breathtaking amount of corruption, waste, and fraud.“

It’s hard to believe that anyone can buy this as a sound moral or ethical philosophy, but there it is. Apparently he is quite influential with the usual suspects like Musk and Thiel. It’s a morally bankrupt philosophy, and built on quicksand: DOGE was an enormous waste and highly destructive that is clear to anyone who is not thoroughly imbibing the tribal and racist koolaid.

Thought folks at Kos might find this useful, if frightening, information.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/5/23/800043750/community/tech-bros-ethics-suicidal-empathy/

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