The pundit toolkit: My empathy, their wickedness

First in the “my empathy” toolkit is the long list of historical ills that the subject’s larger group has endured. Next come the descriptions of recent social or economic decline, usually backed up with statistics. The whole thing will be wrapped up by a description of the subject’s political aims, which are presented as fundamentally, almost embarrassingly modest. Just looking for equal rights here. Just looking to not be destroyed by a mob. Just looking to vote in his own interests. Just asking to live.

The “their wickedness” toolkit is similarly equipped. Usually the implements resemble the ones mentioned above. First comes the long list of historical traumas that the subject’s larger group has inflicted on the world. Next comes a number of statistics about the relative advantages that the group may have. Finally it is wrapped up with a prejudicing description of the subject’s political aims, which are presented as fundamentally, almost embarrassingly malign. Just looking to destroy everything decent. Just looking to vote against the basic rights of everyone else. Just demanding to kill.

Sometimes the toolkit is chosen based on an imagined global hierarchy of victims and malefactors. At other times, the toolkit is chosen out of purely partisan interests; it becomes a matter of keeping the electoral coalitions together and sufficiently passionate.