FLOTSAM & JETSAM: The globalization of Obama's narcissism

Friday, July 05, 2013

The globalization of Obama's narcissism

Sam Smith

Barack Obama’s narcissism which has helped to foul up much of his domestic efforts has now gone global. The lack of any remorse over his administration’s spying on European allies is one example. More colorful is that fact that even during the Cold War, no Soviet leader publicly displayed the sort of visible disgust apparent in pictures of Valdmir Puitin after his negotiations with the president. One does not have to share a single view in common with the Russian leader to understand where that disdain was coming from. And then there is the unprecedented interference with the flight of the president of a Latin American country, the sort of thing that will leave a whole continent pissed off at Obama for the indefinite future.

It is a topic carefully dodged by the corporate media, but the fact is that Obama is an unusually narcissistic, arrogant president who has few apparent friends, does not try to cultivate them, blandly ignores or disses those who might be among them, seeks little advice from non-subservient sources, and seems incapable of negotiating with anyone unwilling to do what he says.

As just one example, take Obamacare, a 2,000 page conflicting mixture of the good, the bad and the incredibly uncertain. A good politician, facing increasing doubts and negative evidence, might say something like, “Most of this measure is great, but it was a hugely complex bill and I understand why some are having doubts and questions about some of its provisions. I plan to begin meeting with various individuals and groups to work out ways to improve these parts of the bill.”

It is hard to imagine someone of Obama’s self absorption and certainty even coming close to something like that.

If you scan the presidents of the past hundred years, he falls into a select group of psychologically unreliable personalities that includes Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton but no one else.

This is not to say that he’s crazy, but that his essence and actions are harmed by a mind unduly impressed with its righteousness, correctness and wisdom.

It’s time to get this truth out of the closet.