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• Tuesday, May 30, 2006 09:45 AM

  Is Douglas Feith a sick puppy?

  Years ago when Robert Bork was being considered for a slot on the Supreme Court, I suddenly had an insight. I realized he was nuts. I had read some of his opinions as part of my work in I/O psychology, and then when I heard about some of his other writings and saw him speak the light went off: Asperger's syndrom.

  I have come to the strong suspicion that several of the leading lights in the "neocon" movement may be suffering the aftermath of similar conditions. Douglas Feith is one on my leading suspects.

  A competent professional (I am a psychologist, but not a clinician) would need records from the early childhoods of these people to see if the diagnosis would stick, but I think it is a serious possiblity.

  The basic behaviorial profile is of a very bright person--particularly good analytic skills--and absolutely no empathy or social sense. These are people who are incapable of checking the practical consequences of their "good" ideas. I have some economists on my list of suspects as well.

  Maybe it is time to begin a new discipline of public psychiatry: an attempt to spot the serious psychopathology of public figures before they can do more damage. Note: they almost all suffer from narcissisum, so that doesn't count.

  I am shocked that Georgetown would hire this guy, particularly, if the article is correct, without factuly input. That raises serious questions about the instituition's status as a univeristy.

  —Roger64 Read Roger64's other letters
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