GreggFromJoisey
03-17-2007, 04:43 PM
This is circulating from the mail of ALLAN
> SCHNAIBERG, Professor of Sociology &
> Faculty Associate, Institute for Policy Research,
> Northwestern University
> 1812 Chicago Avenue, room 108
>
> He says:
> Here is an interesting perspective from Dr. Paul
> Minot, a psychiatrist in Waterville, Maine
>
> George Bush's "irrational" consideration of a
> "surge" in the wake of the Iraq Study Group report
> -- which apparently defies all credible counsel -
> has begun to generate speculation regarding his
> sanity. References to Bush's "delusions" have
> appeared in the mainstream media and throughout the
> blogosphere.
>
> As a psychiatrist, I understandably get concerned
> when I see clinical terminology bandied about in
> political discourse, and thought it might be of
> interest to share a professional perspective on this
> question. I have a distinct clinical impression that
> I think explains much of Mr. Bush's visible
> pathology.
>
> First and foremost, George W. Bush has a
> Narcissistic Personality Disorder. What this means,
> is that he has rather desperate insecurities about
> himself, and compensates by constructing a
> grandiose self-image. Most of his relationships are
> either mirroring relationships -- people who flatter
> him and reinforce his grandiosity -- or idealized
> self-objects -- people that he himself thinks a lot
> of, and hence feels flattered by his association
> with them. Some likely perform both functions.
> Hence his weakness for sycophants like Harriet
> Miers, and powerful personalities like **** Cheney.
> Even as a narcissist, Bush knows he isn't a great
> intellect, and compensates by dismissing the value
> of intellect altogether. Hence his disses of Gore's
> bookishness, and any other intellectual that isn't
> flattering him. Bush knows that his greatest
> personal strength is projecting personal affability,
> and tries to utilize it even in the most
> inappropriate settings. That's why he gives
> impromptu backrubs to the German Chancellor in a
> diplomatic meeting -- he's insecure intellectually,
> and tries to make everyone into a "buddy" so he can
> feel more secure.
>
> The most disturbing aspect about narcissists,
> however, is their pathological inability to
> empathize with others, with the exception of those
> who either mirror them, or whom they idealize.
> Hence Bush's horrifying insensitivity to the Katrina
> victims, his callous jokes when visiting grievously
> injured soldiers, and numerous other instances. He
> simply has no capacity to feel for others in that
> way When LBJ was losing Vietnam, he developed a
> haunted expression that anybody could recognize as
> indicative of underlying anguish. For all his
> faults, you just knew he was losing sleep over it.
> By the same token, we know just as well that Bush
> isn't losing any sleep over dead American soldiers,
> to say nothing of dead Iraqis. He didn't exhibit any
> sign of significant concern until his own political
> popularity was sliding -- because THAT'S something
> he CAN feel.
>
> Which brings us to his recent "delusion." To be
> blunt, I don't see any indication that Bush has any
> sort of psychotic disorder whatsoever. The lapses
> in reality-testing that he exhibits are the sort
> that can be readily explained by his
> characterological insensitivity to the feelings and
> perceptions of others, due to his persistently
> self-centered frame of reference.
>
> Mr. Bush knows that things aren't going his way in
> Iraq, and he knows that it is damaging him
> politically. He also sees that it is likely to get
> worse no matter what he does, and in fact it may be
> a lost cause. However, he recognizes that if he
> follows the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group,
> that Iraq will almost certainly evolve into a
> puppet state of Iran, and given his treatment of
> Iran he will completely lose control of the
> situation -- and he will be politically discredited
> for this outcome.
>
> The ONLY chance that he has to avoid this
> political disaster, and save his political skin, is
> to hope against hope for "victory" in Iraq.
> Advancing the "surge" idea offers Bush two political
> advantages over following the ISG recommendations.
> One is that if it is implemented, maybe, just maybe,
> he can pull out some sort of nominal "victory" out
> of the situation. The chances are exceedingly slim,
> granted, but slim is better to him than the
> alternative (none). Alternately, if the "surge" is
> politically rejected, he gains some political cover,
> so when things inevitably go bad, he can say "I told
> you so" and blame the "surrender monkeys" for the
> outcome. Most people probably won't buy it, but some
> (his core base) will.
>
> Now, I know what many of you are thinking -- is
> George Bush willing to risk the lives of hundreds,
> maybe thousands more American soldiers, on an
> outside chance to save his political skin, in a
> half-baked plan that even he knows probably won't
> work at all? Yes, he is. Because George Bush is that
> narcissistic, that desperate, and yes, that
> sociopathic as well.
>
> Especially interesting about Mr. Bush, but quite
> common, Narcissistic Personality Disorder is
> frequently associated with alcoholism. The
> insufferable "holier than thou" attitude associated
> with "Dry Drunk Syndrome" is indicative of
> underlying narcissism.
>
> Also, the way that Bush embraces Christianity is
> characteristically narcissistic. Rather than
> incorporating the lessons of humility and empathy
> modeled by Jesus, Bush uses his Christian faith to
> reinforce his grandiosity. Jesus is his powerful
> ally, his idealized "buddy" who gives a rubber stamp
> to anything he thinks.
>
> Finally -- and this will sound VERY familiar to
> many readers -- those persons with NPD are
> notoriously unable to say they're sorry. Admitting
> error is fundamentally incompatible with their
> precarious efforts to maintain their sense of order.
> Anyone having this particular character flaw almost
> certainly has NPD.
>
> SCHNAIBERG, Professor of Sociology &
> Faculty Associate, Institute for Policy Research,
> Northwestern University
> 1812 Chicago Avenue, room 108
>
> He says:
> Here is an interesting perspective from Dr. Paul
> Minot, a psychiatrist in Waterville, Maine
>
> George Bush's "irrational" consideration of a
> "surge" in the wake of the Iraq Study Group report
> -- which apparently defies all credible counsel -
> has begun to generate speculation regarding his
> sanity. References to Bush's "delusions" have
> appeared in the mainstream media and throughout the
> blogosphere.
>
> As a psychiatrist, I understandably get concerned
> when I see clinical terminology bandied about in
> political discourse, and thought it might be of
> interest to share a professional perspective on this
> question. I have a distinct clinical impression that
> I think explains much of Mr. Bush's visible
> pathology.
>
> First and foremost, George W. Bush has a
> Narcissistic Personality Disorder. What this means,
> is that he has rather desperate insecurities about
> himself, and compensates by constructing a
> grandiose self-image. Most of his relationships are
> either mirroring relationships -- people who flatter
> him and reinforce his grandiosity -- or idealized
> self-objects -- people that he himself thinks a lot
> of, and hence feels flattered by his association
> with them. Some likely perform both functions.
> Hence his weakness for sycophants like Harriet
> Miers, and powerful personalities like **** Cheney.
> Even as a narcissist, Bush knows he isn't a great
> intellect, and compensates by dismissing the value
> of intellect altogether. Hence his disses of Gore's
> bookishness, and any other intellectual that isn't
> flattering him. Bush knows that his greatest
> personal strength is projecting personal affability,
> and tries to utilize it even in the most
> inappropriate settings. That's why he gives
> impromptu backrubs to the German Chancellor in a
> diplomatic meeting -- he's insecure intellectually,
> and tries to make everyone into a "buddy" so he can
> feel more secure.
>
> The most disturbing aspect about narcissists,
> however, is their pathological inability to
> empathize with others, with the exception of those
> who either mirror them, or whom they idealize.
> Hence Bush's horrifying insensitivity to the Katrina
> victims, his callous jokes when visiting grievously
> injured soldiers, and numerous other instances. He
> simply has no capacity to feel for others in that
> way When LBJ was losing Vietnam, he developed a
> haunted expression that anybody could recognize as
> indicative of underlying anguish. For all his
> faults, you just knew he was losing sleep over it.
> By the same token, we know just as well that Bush
> isn't losing any sleep over dead American soldiers,
> to say nothing of dead Iraqis. He didn't exhibit any
> sign of significant concern until his own political
> popularity was sliding -- because THAT'S something
> he CAN feel.
>
> Which brings us to his recent "delusion." To be
> blunt, I don't see any indication that Bush has any
> sort of psychotic disorder whatsoever. The lapses
> in reality-testing that he exhibits are the sort
> that can be readily explained by his
> characterological insensitivity to the feelings and
> perceptions of others, due to his persistently
> self-centered frame of reference.
>
> Mr. Bush knows that things aren't going his way in
> Iraq, and he knows that it is damaging him
> politically. He also sees that it is likely to get
> worse no matter what he does, and in fact it may be
> a lost cause. However, he recognizes that if he
> follows the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group,
> that Iraq will almost certainly evolve into a
> puppet state of Iran, and given his treatment of
> Iran he will completely lose control of the
> situation -- and he will be politically discredited
> for this outcome.
>
> The ONLY chance that he has to avoid this
> political disaster, and save his political skin, is
> to hope against hope for "victory" in Iraq.
> Advancing the "surge" idea offers Bush two political
> advantages over following the ISG recommendations.
> One is that if it is implemented, maybe, just maybe,
> he can pull out some sort of nominal "victory" out
> of the situation. The chances are exceedingly slim,
> granted, but slim is better to him than the
> alternative (none). Alternately, if the "surge" is
> politically rejected, he gains some political cover,
> so when things inevitably go bad, he can say "I told
> you so" and blame the "surrender monkeys" for the
> outcome. Most people probably won't buy it, but some
> (his core base) will.
>
> Now, I know what many of you are thinking -- is
> George Bush willing to risk the lives of hundreds,
> maybe thousands more American soldiers, on an
> outside chance to save his political skin, in a
> half-baked plan that even he knows probably won't
> work at all? Yes, he is. Because George Bush is that
> narcissistic, that desperate, and yes, that
> sociopathic as well.
>
> Especially interesting about Mr. Bush, but quite
> common, Narcissistic Personality Disorder is
> frequently associated with alcoholism. The
> insufferable "holier than thou" attitude associated
> with "Dry Drunk Syndrome" is indicative of
> underlying narcissism.
>
> Also, the way that Bush embraces Christianity is
> characteristically narcissistic. Rather than
> incorporating the lessons of humility and empathy
> modeled by Jesus, Bush uses his Christian faith to
> reinforce his grandiosity. Jesus is his powerful
> ally, his idealized "buddy" who gives a rubber stamp
> to anything he thinks.
>
> Finally -- and this will sound VERY familiar to
> many readers -- those persons with NPD are
> notoriously unable to say they're sorry. Admitting
> error is fundamentally incompatible with their
> precarious efforts to maintain their sense of order.
> Anyone having this particular character flaw almost
> certainly has NPD.
>