PSYCHOBABBLE ALERT
They're back! The psychobabblers are out in full force now that Saddam's regime is gone. The same Dr. Jerrold Post who warned against the dangers of inflaming Saddam's "narcissistic rage" by deploying military force in place of words, is now explaining why Saddam behaved so cruelly and built such big palaces.
The NYTimes, having fought our efforts to militarily depose Saddam, now feels it necessary to explain to us that he's not a "madman". Instead, the experts, like Dr. Post, tell us he's a "malignant narcissist". That's a more "scientific" term than "madman" and allows them to opine about his difficult childhood, his depressed mother, his abusive step-father, blah, blah, blah. What cant! In attempting to demonstrate their "deeper" understanding they fail to recognize how thoroughly they discredit themselves. Horsefeathers will take 'madman' over 'malignant narcissist' anytime. An earlier Horsefeathers piece on psychoanalyzing Saddam remains particularly relevant:
PSYCHOANALYZING SADDAM
If I absolutely had to choose between diagnoses, I think I'd rather be a madman than a malignant narcissist ... wouldn't you?
"He's bat-shit crazy."
Posted by: IB Bill on May 5, 2003 04:04 PMOR
"He's selfish in a way that is fatal to others."
"Morally different."
Posted by: Francis W. Porretto on May 5, 2003 05:14 PMI prefer "evil S.O.B." myself, but I'm different that way.
Posted by: Andrea Harris on May 6, 2003 01:49 AMI wonder why did the *good Dr.* failed to include "sociopath" in his diagnosis? Or "megalomaniac?" How about remembering "Boarderline Personality Disorder," while he is at it? Methinks the *good Dr.* has been over-protected in his practice or over-cautious in his diagnosis.
"Super-freaky psycho nut-bucket" seems to connote the necessary scary components to the diagnosis better than the PC "morally challenged."
Posted by: Claire on May 9, 2003 07:12 PM