Sociopathic Conservatives; Projection on Steroids, or a bad case of MSDS*

Thank god for acronyms. It’s been painfully obvious for years that Republicans believe very strongly in MSDS (my shit don’t stink). And MSDS makes conservative projection so much easier. Projection:

A psychological defense mechanism where a person subconsciously denies his or her own attributes, thoughts, and emotions, which are then ascribed to other people … projection is an especially commonly used defense mechanism in people with certain personality disorders: Patients with paranoid personalities for example, use projection as a primary defense because it allows them to disavow unpleasant feelings and attribute them to others.'

I found this article by Doug Casey, who brags how he “literally wrote the book on profiting from periods of economic turmoil,” that offered the best example of both projection and MSDS. Keep in mind, he thinks he’s describing liberal sociopathic behavior, but he's really projecting:

In this article, I'm going to argue that the US government, in particular, is being overrun by the wrong kind of person. It's a trend that's been in motion for many years but has now reached a point of no return. The reason is that a certain class of people – sociopaths – are now fully in control of major American institutions. All the institutions that made America exceptional – including a belief in capitalism, individualism, self-reliance and the restraints of the Constitution – are now only historical artifacts. On the other hand, the distribution of sociopaths is completely uniform across both space and time. Conditions for them in the US are becoming quite favorable.

He’s right of course, but it's upside down. Check out this surreal example:

Have you ever wondered where the 50,000 people employed by the TSA to inspect and degrade you came from? Most of them are middle-aged. Did they have jobs before they started doing something that any normal person would consider demeaning? … but they were attracted to – not repelled by – a job where they wear a costume and abuse their fellow citizens all day … the most effective solution would be to hold each airline responsible for its own security and for the harm done if it fails to protect passengers and third parties.

That’s a little after the fact, maybe? Doug Casey blames Bush for egging liberals on, and then projects his paranoia:

As I see it, 80% of people are basically decent; 20% of people, however, are what you might call potential trouble sources, inclined toward doing the wrong thing when the opportunity presents itself. They might now be shoe clerks, mailmen or waitresses – they seem perfectly benign in normal times. However, given the chance, they will sign up for the Gestapo, the Stasi, the KGB, the TSA, Homeland Security or whatever. 20% of that 20% are really bad actors. They are drawn to government and other positions where they can work their will on other people. They remake the culture of the organizations they run in their own image. Gradually, non-sociopaths can no longer stand being there. They leave. Soon the whole barrel is full of bad apples. That's what's happening today in the US. It's a pity that Bush lacked the awareness to see he was fertilizing it by turning the US into a national security state after 9/11. Now, I believe, it's out of control. 

Doug Casey then spells out the very definition of disaster capitalism:

The US is already in a truly major depression and on the edge of financial chaos and a currency meltdown. The sociopaths in government will react by redoubling the pace toward a police state domestically and starting a major war abroad. To me, this is completely predictable. It's what sociopaths do. Sociopaths completely lack a conscience or any capacity for real regret about hurting people. Although they pretend the opposite. Sociopaths put their own desires and wants on a totally different level from those of other people. They truly believe their ends justify their means. Although they pretend the opposite. 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.

The fact that they're chronic, extremely convincing and even enthusiastic liars, who often believe their own lies, means they aren't easy to spot, because normal people naturally assume another person is telling the truth. Political elites are primarily, and sometimes exclusively, composed of sociopaths. Sociopaths sense this, start coming out of the woodwork and are drawn to the State and its bureaucracies and regulatory agencies, where they can get licensed and paid to do what they've always wanted to do. The majority of Americans are, of course, where the rot originates. Once a country buys into the idea that an above-average, privileged lifestyle is everyone's minimum due, when the fortunate few can lobby for special deals to rake something off the table as they squeeze wealth out of others by force, that country is on the decline. Lobbying and taxation rather than production and innovation have never been able to sustain prosperity.