The Ascendence of Sociopaths in US Governance

Casey Research ^ | March 21, 2012 | Doug Casey

[SaveOurRepublicFromTyranny]

There are seven characteristics I can think of that define a sociopath, although I'm sure the list could be extended.

1) Sociopaths completely lack a conscience or any capacity for real regret about hurting people. Although they pretend the opposite. 2) Sociopaths put their own desires and wants on a totally different level from those of other people. Their wants are incommensurate. They truly believe their ends justify their means. Although they pretend the opposite. 3) Sociopaths consider themselves superior to everyone else, because they aren't burdened by the emotions and ethics others have – they're above all that. They're arrogant. Although they pretend the opposite. 4) Sociopaths never accept the slightest responsibility for anything that goes wrong, even though they're responsible for almost everything that goes wrong. You'll never hear a sincere apology from them. 5) Sociopaths have a lopsided notion of property rights. What's theirs is theirs, and what's yours is theirs too. They therefore defend currency inflation and taxation as good things. 6) Sociopaths usually pick the wrong target to attack. If they lose their wallet, they kick the dog. If 16 Saudis fly planes into buildings, they attack Afghanistan. 7) Sociopaths traffic in disturbing news, they love to pass on destructive rumors and they'll falsify information to damage others.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Government is the religion of the sociopath.

[Gay State Conservative]

Is this a passage from Schemes Of My Father?

[the invisib1e hand]

the population in general. naturally they gravitate toward power-occupations.

[SnakeDoctor]

Perhaps proportional to the ascendance of sociopaths in society at large.

SnakeDoc

[sr4402]

If 16 Saudis fly planes into buildings, they attack Afghanistan.

Catch the sneak attack on the War and Bush?

Osama's organization was in Afghanistan at that time. There was no evidence that the Saudi regime had anything to do with the attack on our Homeland.

With the logic of this statement, our response would have been on the wrong place with the wrong people achieving terrible results.

It betrays typical liberal/progressive thinking.

[Hugin]

He discredited the concept. He made Boobus americanus think it only existed in a distant axis, in places like North Korea, Iraq and Iran – which were and still are irrelevant backwaters and arbitrarily chosen enemies...If 16 Saudis fly planes into buildings, they attack Afghanistan.

Typical PaulPod screed. Blame America for the fact that evil people want to kill us.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Slick Willard in a nutshell (and Zero goes without saying).

[Brad from Tennessee]

FROM BLOOMBERG: “`Functional Psychopaths’ Make the Best Investors, Study Shows” (Because their lack of fear allows them to take risks)

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a.eCGz4Nscks&refer=uk

[Tublecane]

“’”Functional Psychopaths” Make the Best Investors, Study Shows’ (Because their lack of fear allows them to take risks)”

I find that dubious. Not that they don’t make best investors, just not for that reason. It’s not as if fear of risk is the only thing stopping us all from being millionaires. Some risks you should be afraid of.

[Usagi_yo]

Do sociopaths have agendas other than themselves? My real point is some of these people are far worse than sociopaths. They’re narcissistic idealogues with agendas.

[Sherman Logan]

Sociopaths consider themselves superior to everyone else, because they aren't burdened by the emotions and ethics others have – they're above all that. They're arrogant. Although they pretend the opposite.

Not a good description of sociopaths. They don't consider themselves better than other people. They don't think of others as people at all.

To a sociopath there exists only himself and objects. He feels no regret or concern whatsoever regardless of how he treats objects that others refer to as people. How can morality or ethics be involved in how you treat objects?

Some sociopaths are able to effectively feign empathy for others, as they have learned it is an effective way to manipulate some of those objects to get what they want. But they never actually feel the empathy.

[Grampa3711]

Pages, pages, and more pages, then, “It’s quite simpe, really.” Mr. Casey could perhaps slice his (oxymoron) “mini tome” into three or four good short essays. This could make his work valuable.

[Brad from Tennessee]

The study was done by “researchers at Stanford Graduate School of Business.” They claim to have used test subjects who were “brain-damaged” to the point they had no emotions. There is still a medical controversy (nature or nurture?) over how sociopathic or psychopathic personalities are formed. So the whole thing seems hokey. I think also these “researchers” don't have a clue about the decision-making process of real investors.

[Tublecane]

“I think also these ‘researchers’ don’t have a clue about the decision-making process of real investors.”

Probably not. Which still doesn’t mean they’re wrong, just that I don’t except their explanation. That is often the problem with these headline-grabbing “studies”; the results could portend any number of things, and psuedo-science can provide no definite answer.

As far as psychopaths being good investors, I very much doubt it’s because they don’t care about risk. Perhaps it’s because they look at the facts more dispassionately than regular people. Or perhaps they’re not psychopaths at all, and the studies are misdiagnosing them.

[Tublecane]

“I don’t except”

Whoops, I meant “accept.”

[BigEdLB]

1) Sociopaths completely lack a conscience or any capacity for real regret about hurting people. Although they pretend the opposite.


2) Sociopaths put their own desires and wants on a totally different level from those of other people. Their wants are incommensurate. They truly believe their ends justify their means. Although they pretend the opposite. .


3) Sociopaths consider themselves superior to everyone else, because they aren't burdened by the emotions and ethics others have – they're above all that. They're arrogant. Although they pretend the opposite. .


4) Sociopaths never accept the slightest responsibility for anything that goes wrong, even though they're responsible for almost everything that goes wrong. You'll never hear a sincere apology from them. .


5) Sociopaths have a lopsided notion of property rights. What's theirs is theirs, and what's yours is theirs too. They therefore defend currency inflation and taxation as good things. .


6) Sociopaths like al Queda usually pick the wrong target to attack. If they lose their wallet, they kick the dog.cut off a hand If 16 SaudisOsama bin Laden inspires 19 fools to fly planes into buildings Good people attack Afghanistan.where Osama was hiding .


7) Sociopaths traffic in disturbing news, they love to pass on destructive rumors and they'll falsify information to damage others. .

[PGalt]

These are totalitarian psychopaths in government...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tro2U-cezqo

GRRRREAT examples, BigEdLB! Great thread BUMP!

[x]

The speculation online is that Doug Casey may be a Scientologist.

If true, would that make him a sociopath as well?

[DuncanWaring]

Yep, saw that.

BDS lingers on.