Dangerous Psychology of Secret Courts / Military Tribunals · 4 September 2006 Psychologist and ex-army officer, Norman F. Dixon, in his book, On the Psychology of Military Incompetence, wrote about the staggering irrationality which can beset the thinking of otherwise highly competent, intelligent, conscientious individuals when they begin to act as group. The Penguin Dictionary of […]
Psychologies of Putin and USA · 14 August 2012 Vladimir Putin as an individual and the USA as a country have a lot in common although they would both hate the comparison. Both Putin and the US are very fearful of the changing world around them. They do not fully understand it and have the same […]
Obama, Jefferson, slaves, murder, Nobel Prizes · 12 December 2012 Gideon Rachman of the Financial Times (America’s drone war is out of control, December 10, 2012) wrote that the use of drone strikes to kill suspected terrorists has become a trademark of the Obama administration. This often involves killing somebody whose name you don’t even know […]
James Packer a man or a God? · 22 October 2006 James Packer’s lieutenants, and other potential beneficiaries of his wealth and influence, paid public homage and reassured him of their loyalty in the Australian Financial Review on Saturday AND provided a reference for my forthcoming book with its theme of power and servility in the […]
Howard & Sinodinos: a mutual need for master and servant! · 7 May 2007 In two articles in the Weekend Sydney Morning Herald, journalist Peter Hartcher profiled Arthur Sinodinos who recently resigned as John Howard’s chief of staff —and related the Sinodinos view on why Howard has been able to remain Prime Minister of Australia for […]
History of anti-terrorist laws in dictatorships · 10 November 2005 The term terrorism derives from the French Revolution’s reign of terror in 1793-4. While the term now has wider meaning, it remains the case that, given the opportunity, those in power will resort to oppression and even reigns of terror and do so with the excuse […]
Julia Gillard (Prime Minister of Australia): psychological profile · 3 April 2011 In an article in The Australian newspaper on 23 March, journalist Paul Kelly commented on the attitudes and values of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and on her apparent contradictions and back-flips on policy. Kelly wrote: She warned Kevin Rudd (the former prime minister, […]
George Bush, Stalin, Mao and history reading leaders · 24 November 2010 According to a recent article by Ben MacIntyre in The Times, George Bush’s memoir indicates that in the course of a single year, 2006, in competition with his adviser Karl Rove, he read 95 books, totalling 37,343 pages. That is more than one book […]
Brooks and Tett on policy psychology · 22 October 2012 David Brooks (writing in the The New York Times on 12 October) and Gillian Tett (writing in the Financial Times on 18 October) have each produced a useful article on the relationship of individual psychology (or personality) to the wider world of government policy although the […]