Capitol Hill Blue Forums Political Issues The Obama Administration IRS Surrenders, Won't Check Whether Political Nonprofits Are Breaking The Law

. a person with a psychopathic personality whose behavior is antisocial, often criminal, and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.

While I disagree with tea party types
I think that they are socially and morally engaged. And mostly not criminal

IMO humans are highly susceptible to manipulation. We could call it herd behavior.


IMO a sociopath is a narcissistic loner type.

Tea party types crave to be part of a strong and strongly defined group. They feel a cohesive and self righteous us. Which must band together to exclude them

It is the difference between a lynch mob and a serial killer. Both are dangerous. But the psychol dynamic is different

A pedantic point perhaps

True, thoughts can't be criminal. It's interesting that once their thoughts are turned into action, the action would be criminal.

Fine-line indeed.

It is curious that the seeking of tax exempt status for these groups was rarely discussed. The reasons these groups form is to gain tax exemption. That is why the IRS targeted them and not just because they were “conservative” organizations. Many of this ilk make it a point to declare the illegitimacy of the federal government and the illegitimacy of the IRS.

Drown them both in a bathtub so to speak.

Is it any wonder they were targeted? Yet it was managed to be framed as the IRS going after poor little innocent conservatives as if the tax exempt aspects were irrelevant. Say something loudly and often enough and it becomes true by default.

Simply amazing.

True, but only a small part of the truth: They want that tax exempt status because they can accept donations for their political shenanigans without revealing the donors. As a conduit for contributions from donors to non-candidate political funds, I don't think they make any profit to be taxed. So the taxability is not the real issue. It's the secrecy.

Indeed. Goebbels would be proud.

Ardy,

My oldest step-son is a sociopath. He is capable of turning on the charm to get anything he wants out of any body. Mostly women, but he's able to put it over on quite a few men as well. I've had to sit and explain to several young ladies that he's a thief and all he's going to do is rip them off. They don't believe me, until I get the phone call and they're crying because he cleaned out their bank accounts and stole their jewelry. Cause drugs have been more important to him than anything else.

He's currently in Maricopa Co Jail with Sheriff Joe Arpaio, serving 20 years for second degree murder. As you might imagine, we're so proud.

He hatched a plan to steal from a drug dealer he thought was too casual with both his money and drugs. He brought four "friends" along, one of them armed. His job was to keep the dealer calm and collected so things didn't get out of hand. The dealer pulled his own gun, the armed friend did also. The dealer was aerated about 14 times (my step-son took two bullets himself, but his wounds were minor).

Of course, all four cohorts turned state's evidence, because when the chips are down the rats will eat the chips.

We are, effectively, done. If he shows up on my door in 20 years (should I still be amongst the living) I'm calling the cops. I don't want him here, nor do I want him anywhere near me. I don't even want him to pet my dog.

Seriously. He'd steal his collar.

There is sociopathic behavior in the specific, immediate sense: "I wanted his car, so I killed him and took it." Then there is more subtle sociopathic behavior: "I should get to collect my social security, but everybody younger (poorer, blacker, etc.) should do without."

Most of the TEA Party people don't fall into the former category, but might fall into the latter. Maybe they are sociopaths because they don't feel empathy, but they are well-socialized so they understand what is acceptable behavior in everyday interactions. Or maybe they are simply ignorant enough to have never considered the effects their political goals would have on other people. Some of us have never internalized the things we were supposed to learn in kindergarten: Rules must apply equally to everybody. Don't take what is not yours. Share. Clean up your mess...

Is it not sociopathic behavior to chant: Go Home! USA! USA! To a busload of kids who are trying to better their lives?

The bloggers at Greta's are all over that type of behavior - they own it and they are proud.

Alright, alright, I threw out the "S" word, before refreshing myself of the clinical meaning. Simple selfishness, greed, lack of empathy, self-righteousness, inability to deal with complex situations in any way other than black and white (not playing the race card, here...), willingness to throw the innocent to the wolves without a second thought - those things are atrocious but not the definition of a sociopath (Siannan gave us a real life example).

So what is the proper term for folks who have those characteristics I listed? Conservative seems inappropriate. Right wing radical? TEABagger? Republican?

Or just a$$hole?

An elongated version of "a-hole" works fine for me. Though I think a modifier would be appropriate, something like "ignorant."