John Bolton: psychopath, or effective leader?

Belinda Board, a clinical psychologist at London's University of Surrey, thinks John Bolton may be both a psychopath and an effective leader. In fact, he may be an effective leader because he's somewhat psycho.

Board bases her opinion on the results of a study she conducted in 2001 comparing the personality traits of 39 high-ranking business executives with psychiatric patients and criminals with a history of mental health problems.

The study showed that the character disorders of the business managers were parallel to those of the criminals and mental patients.

In fact, Board says, "the business population was as likely as the prison and psychiatric populations to demonstrate the traits associated with narcissistic personality disorder: grandiosity, lack of empathy, exploitativeness and independence.They were also as likely to have traits associated with compulsive personality disorder: stubbornness, dictatorial tendencies, perfectionism and an excessive devotion to work."

But that's not all. Board says the executives were also "significantly more likely to demonstrate characteristics associated with histrionic personality disorder, like superficial charm, insincerity, egocentricity and manipulativeness."

The only difference between the business executives and the psychopaths, Board says, was that the business executives were "less likely to demonstrate physical aggression, irresponsibility with work and finances, lack of remorse, and impulsiveness."

In other words, business executives have a sense of social propriety and restraint. Even though they're basically psychopathic, they're able to climb the ladder of success by avoiding "going postal."

But just because John Bolton hasn't killed anybody yet (as far as we know), does that mean he hasn't gone postal? Doesn't verbal abuse, without an apology, qualify as "aggression," "irresponsibility with work," "lack of remorse," and "impulsiveness"?

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/11/opinion/11board.html

Microsoft shows the courage of others' convictions

Whew! There's been so much flip-flopping in politics lately that our heads are spinning. Just when we were finally certain that Microsoft was the devil incarnate, the company has announced that it has decided to support Washington State's gay rights bill after all.

In an e-mail sent to 35,000 Microsoft employees, CEO Steve Ballmer wrote, "After looking at the question from all sides, I've concluded that diversity in the workplace is such an important issue for our business that it should be included in our legislative agenda."

Oh, so it was a BUSINESS decision. Never mind our comment about the devil.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/07/national/07gay.html

We are all prisoners of war

We Are All Prisoners of War
Originally uploaded by Editor at Large.

Express your feelings about the human, financial, and social costs of war with this "Prisoners of War" bumper sticker. Available from www.cafepress.com/editoratlarge

Quote of the day

"Mr. Bush wanted Iraq to have a democracy like ours. It's on its way, nearing an ethics-free zone where a corrupt official can hold sway and a theocracy can curb women's rights." - Maureen Dowd, NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/30/opinion/30dowd.html

North Korea on Bush

At a news conference Friday, North Korea's Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the nuclear impasse will never be resolved while Bush remains in office. He said Bush is "a half-baked man in terms of morality and a philistine whom we can never deal with" and described Bush as the "world's dictator," who as president had "turned the world into a sea of blood." He also noted that "no one can expect to hear reasonable words from Bush, once a cowboy at a ranch in Texas. His remarks often stun audiences as they reveal his utter ignorance."

However you feel about North Korea, you have to admit they have a point.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/30/AR2005043000590.html