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"Source: alternet.org"THE SERIAL MISBEHAVIOR OF THESE MEN WAS RATIONALIZED AND EXCUSED FOR YEARS, BUT IT DEMONSTRATES A PERPETUAL PROBLEM: RULING CLASS IMPUNITY. "May 19, 2011/"In recent days the political news has been like an episode of some TV drama about high-level corruption - call it "Criminal Minds" meets "The West Wing". The head of the International Monetary Fund - the global financial organization that sets terms for development aid -- was jailed in New York for allegedly assaulting a housemaid sexually at his hotel. Meanwhile, in California news broke that the state's movie-star governor - known as both the Terminator and the Gropinator - fathered a love-child almost a decade ago and it didn't come out until he was about to leave office.Then, of course, there's the presidential campaign of Newt Gingrich, a poster child for bad behavior, launched last week with a series of disastrous missteps and rationalizations.What the three men have in common, aside from wielding more influence than they can handle or deserve, is that their serial misbehavior went unchecked for years. In fact, it was rationalized as mere exuberance, frequently excused in "exceptional" people, when it actually demonstrated something else - ruling class impunity.Ask yourself: Is it possible that these were isolated lapses in judgment? In other words, was this the only time Dominique Strauss-Kahn went after the help, or the only instance of Arnold Schwarzenegger cheating on his wife and exploiting those beneath him?Not too likely. And it's surely not the only time Gingrich has excused his own bad behavior as a side effect of patriotism - while simultaneously trashing the basic humanity of a political opponent.If these are patterns, why are millions so fascinated, often even seduced, by people whose behavior actually points to pathology? Perhaps we are wired to be attracted by psychopaths, sociopaths, narcissists, people so focused on their own central role in whatever takes place that the rest of us are sucked into their reality.Think about entering a portal and emerging into the head of Donald Trump. What could that level of self-absorption be like? Begin by imagining a complete lack of empathy, one of the tell-tale signs of the psychopath.Is Trump a psychopath? Well, he does score well on a 20 item checklist. And are there more psychopaths around us than we think? Not just serial killers and the violent type, but successful, powerful psychopaths who will do anything to win and affect our lives in profound ways?The checklist, a way to help identify potential psychopaths among us, was developed by Bob Hare, a prison psychologist who conducted remarkable experiments and eventually codified his findings. Jon Ronson has provides an excellent history and analysis in his new book, "The Psychopath Test."Here's the basic list, a collection of tendencies and an analytical tool to spot those who might be functioning psychopaths. The last two items relate specifically to criminals, but you don't have to be caught to have "criminal versatility." Keep in mind that having mild tendencies doesn't make you a psychopath. But a high score - more than 30 on Hare's 40 point scale - should be a warning sign. Personally, I give Trump and Gingrich high marks: * 1.Glibness, superficial charm2.Grandiose sense of self-worth3.Need for stimulation, proneness to boredom4.Pathological lying5.Conning, manipulative6.Lack of remorse or guilt7.Shallow affect8.Callous, lack of empathy9.Parasitic lifestyle10.Poor behavioral control11.Promiscuous sexual behavior12.Early behavior problems13.Lack of realistic long-term goals14.Impulsivity15.Irresponsibility16.Failure to accept responsibility for own actions17.Many short-term marital relationships18.Juvenile delinquency
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