I actually think I see a little of what you're getting at, but maybe it's just my willful interpretation.

The absurd is the gap between what we expect to happen, and what actually happens. We expect to go to work today, it'll be mundane and boring, and then an asteroid hits the road and we can't go in today. How absurd.

Cruelty is often a tool people use to gain control. The absurd by definition is outside of our control. I can see how these could be related in some way