Perhaps one of the more frustrating characters produced by the imperial core is the person who truly believes that they are the victim by hearing news of others suffering. These people (always some “social liberal” type who calls themselves a “leftist”) live vicariously through immigrants in camps, protesters braver than them, children bombed abroad, queer, african-american struggles, and so on and so forth.
Their exposure to struggle is largely through children's media, Star Wars, Harry Potter, 1984, whatever sludge Marvel has forced out, etc. They fetishize this idea of struggle, they indulge in it, without caring much for resistance. The average upper middle class white liberal HAS to make the West Asian War about themselves, it's the only way they can care.

It makes ME sad to hear the news! I’m SCARED because of the war! I don’t want MY taxes to go to this war!.

What’s also interesting is how the “Left Populist” (i.e. a social democrat who talks loudly) tries to bleakly spin it into a way they think appeals to the Americans. Why are we going to war with the middle east when my groceries cost so much? What does the cost of living have to do with an imperialist war in Iran?? These “populists” don’t want an end to imperialism so much as a welfare state.
A welfare state is hardly enough.