Sunday, December 14, 2008

Blagojevich turns to camera and asks"Is he teasing me or is that legit?"

drawing by marguerita
“In a strange way, I admire him for he has a unique flair for the dramatic.” from the Pink Panther

(We all know from childhood that it’s not nice to make fun of people’s appearance. So I will confine myself to merely observing that whatever covers the governor’s head looks to me like a bowling-ball cozy.)

Is humor out of place on this subject? Probably. In Blagojevich, we are dealing with a sick man. Or, in medical terminology, extreme pathology.

I felt the need to get some expert opinion on just what the ethically challenged governor is a case of. I sought the counsel of the eminent Dr. Willard Gaylin, longtime practitioner and author on such matters — once entrusted with the care and feeding of my own tender psyche. He filled me in.He described what would now be called a “sociopath,” a modern-day term for the older “psychopath.”

It’s a complex, hard-to-treat ailment, and “anti-social” is the key phrase here.Among the prominent traits of one so afflicted is the absence of any sense of guilt or shame. Empathy is unknown. The truth may be told, but only when it serves the often bizarre purposes of the teller. Never for its own sake.How's That Again, Guv? - Dick Cavett Blog - NYTimes.com

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