The Culture We Deserve Suicidal Empathy
Jan 29, 2026
They debate the popularity of the 'suicidal empathy' idea and how it gets weaponized in culture wars. They interrogate a Nation essay about not reporting sexual assault and the limits of personal essays for complex policy. They weigh abolition versus reform for criminal justice and discuss practical alternatives to carceral responses. They also touch on arts funding, risk culture, and media-driven moral panics.
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Author's Personal Decision Not To Report
- Anna Krauthammer recounts a gang rape she did not report to police and later tied that choice to her abolitionist beliefs.
- The essay provoked praise from abolitionists and outrage from the right, including Elon Musk.
Abolition Isn't 'No Consequences'
- Prison abolition is not the absence of consequences but a vision of different institutions for prevention and repair.
- Nico argues Anna Krauthammer misrepresents abolition by framing non-reporting as moral purity rather than structural alternatives.
Sexual Violence Is A Social Problem
- Treating sexual violence as only personal grievance limits remedies and organization.
- The justice system should repair social fabric, not just satisfy individual victims, to reduce broader harms.
