"Politicians are more likely than people in the general population to be sociopaths. I think you would find no expert in the field of sociopathy/psychopathy/antisocial personality disorder who would dispute this... That a small minority of human beings literally have no conscience was and is a bitter pill for our society to swallow — but it does explain a great many things, shamelessly deceitful political behavior being one."—Dr. Martha Stout, clinical psychologist and former instructor at Harvard Medical School
© Sott.net
Twenty years ago, a newspaper headline asked the question: "
What's the difference between a politician and a psychopath?"
The answer, then and now, remains the same: None.There is
no difference between psychopaths and politicians.
Nor is there much of a difference between the havoc wreaked on innocent lives by uncaring, unfeeling, selfish, irresponsible, parasitic criminals and
elected officials who lie to their constituents, trade political favors for campaign contributions, turn a blind eye to the wishes of the electorate, cheat taxpayers out of hard-earned dollars, favor the corporate elite, entrench the military industrial complex, and spare little thought for the impact their thoughtless actions and hastily passed legislation might have on defenseless citizens.
Psychopaths and politicians both have a tendency to be
selfish, callous, remorseless users of others, irresponsible, pathological liars, glib, con artists, lacking in remorse and shallow.
Charismatic politicians, like criminal psychopaths,
exhibit a failure to accept responsibility for their actions, have a high sense of self-worth, are chronically unstable, have socially deviant lifestyle, need constant stimulation, have parasitic lifestyles and possess unrealistic goals.
It doesn't matter whether you're talking about Democrats or Republicans.
Political psychopaths are all largely cut from the same pathological cloth, brimming with
seemingly easy charm and boasting calculating minds. Such leaders eventually create pathocracies—totalitarian societies bent on power, control, and destruction of both freedom in general and those who exercise their freedoms.
Once psychopaths gain power, the result is usually some form of totalitarian government or a pathocracy. "At that point, the
government operates against the interests of its own people except for favoring certain groups," author James G. Long notes. "We are currently witnessing deliberate polarizations of American citizens, illegal actions, and massive and needless acquisition of debt. This is
typical of psychopathic systems, and very similar things happened in the Soviet Union as it overextended and collapsed."
In other words, electing a psychopath to public office is tantamount to national hara-kiri, the ritualized act of self-annihilation, self-destruction and suicide. It signals the demise of democratic government and lays the groundwork for a totalitarian regime that is legalistic, militaristic, inflexible, intolerant and inhuman.So why do we keep doing it over and over again?
Comment: Well, not
all politicians are psychopaths, but it does help if you are one in certain countries, especially Western countries, and especially the US, UK, EU and Israel.
Check out
Political Ponerology for further insights into 'political' psychopaths.
Note that this has been carried by the Huffington Post. Awareness that we live in a 'pathocracy' is reaching ever-wider audiences...
Comment: Well, not all politicians are psychopaths, but it does help if you are one in certain countries, especially Western countries, and especially the US, UK, EU and Israel.
Check out Political Ponerology for further insights into 'political' psychopaths.
Note that this has been carried by the Huffington Post. Awareness that we live in a 'pathocracy' is reaching ever-wider audiences...