“You Can Be Good”: The Politics of Empathy in the New Age of Fascism

By Tom Lowe

John Steinbeck is one of the most influential American authors of all time, so it comes as no surprise that his works continue to prove as culturally relevant as they were upon release. East of Eden, a book that Steinbeck considered his magnum opus, is a retelling of the biblical tale of Cain and Abel set in California in the early 20th century. 

East of Eden is a nuanced and thoughtful look at human nature, with Steinbeck producing one of the most meaningful lines of dialogue that has secured a timeless and revered status in the American literary canon: 

“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” 

In just thirteen words, Steinbeck is able to encapsulate the very essence of humanity: our ability to do good for one another. In order to realise this ideal, empathy is crucial. A shared understanding of feeling and human connection is ultimately what motivates us. It motivates us to do good, to feel, and to love. 

With the re-election of Donald Trump, the far-right on the rise in Britain and Germany, and the emboldening of oligarchs like Elon Musk, fascism is once again spreading its cancerous tentacles across the world. Much like the fascism of the 20th century, the poisonous ideology is once again asking us to put our faith in strongmen who have our “best interests” at heart. 

There are enough red flags indicating fascism from the new Trump administration to fill several books, whether that’s the President’s outrageous claim that he is above the law because he serves his country, or his refusal to comply with the ruling of the US Supreme Court regarding the illegal deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. I do not need to provide an exhaustive list, the evidence is clear. 

As in the 1930s, the resurgence of fascist ideology comes at a time of bitter resentment from working and middle-class people across the world, who increasingly find themselves shouldering the burden of an unsustainable increase in inequality. From the state-gutting implementation of Reaganomics and Thatcherism in the 1980s to the callous austerity of a post-2008 world, the living standards of working people have been continuously put under pressure. 

Inequality is a systemic issue, woven into the very fabric of our economic system, and working people are disillusioned with how it has affected them. We are not living in the entrepreneurial paradise promised to us by free-market economists. We are living in an era of social fragmentation and a perpetually widening gulf between rich and poor. We are living in an era where Katy Perry can fly to space for eleven minutes whilst people are having to pay in installments to see a concert. We are living in an era of increasing resentment. 

Resentment is the fertiliser of fascism. Instead of taking aim at the profoundly unjust institutions that exacerbate these inequalities, we are being forced to fire upon one another. 21st Century Fascism is keeping us distracted from the true material issues, insisting that our real problems are immigrants, or the transgender community, or welfare claimants, or queer people, or climate protestors.

It is easier to be angry than content. The adage ‘bad news sells’ continues to hold its weight in 2025. Fascists know this, and weaponise our anger to divert attention away from our declining living standards whilst perpetuating hatred and aggression. 

We are divided - and this is what fascists want us to focus on. We are divided by race, by sexuality, by upbringing, by gender identity. 

Here’s what fascists don’t want us to focus on - this is not division, it is diversity. And in diversity, there is strength. In diversity, there is unity. In diversity, there is empathy. Spending time with people of different backgrounds allows us to better understand their feelings. This is the very essence of empathy. 

A cisgendered person has much more in common with a transgender person than they do with Elon Musk. I myself am much more likely to be treated by an immigrant at the NHS than I am to be behind one on a waiting list. You and I are both many times more likely to suffer heavily from climate breakdown than a billionaire. This is not division. 

‘Be more empathetic’ may appear like a wishy-washy political slogan, and maybe to an extent, it is. But it also gets to the root of what makes us members of the human race. It brings us together, cultivating our resilience against fascist ideology through the humanisation of the marginalised and the promotion of compassionate justice. 

Fascism thrives in places where the feeling of empathy is cast aside. The challenge that we face is, in Steinbeck’s words, to "be good". Fascism’s prejudice comes about as a result of our weakness, but empathy is a show of our strength. The way forward is to be strong. Look to one another for support and offer help to those less fortunate than you. There is no way around this new epoch of poisonous ideology, we must confront it, head-on, together. 

Image: Fred Murphy