Liberals care about people as a concept, but as individuals, not so much.
This comes, again, from their desire to feel good about THEMSELVES, and not from any altruistic drive.
This is why they don’t often personally sacrifice or give to charity.
It also enables them to abstract their philosophy into a benevolent despotism. What does it matter if a few faceless pawns suffer for the good of The Whole? People sometimes have to be forced to do the “right” thing.
Collectivism is the cornerstone of the Marxist/Hegellian/Benthamite calculus.