Do Sociopaths Make Better Republicans?

I still think the idea that having training in not having empathy in a large portion of our population has an affect on our country's political zeitgeist

Yes, but I think most republicans get that training from elsewhere than the military, mostly from other conservatives and things like capitalism.

There are a hell of a lot of psychopath republicans that were never in the military, in fact probably most of them.

a reply to: CB328

Oh yea, no Democrats have profited from capitalism. Oh and no Democrats wage war either. Excellent points.

originally posted by: visitedbythem
a reply to: dfnj2015

Mental issues with conservatives are rare.

There is a whole slew of mental issues that go along with the low moral values of the extreme left. Murder of children is ok in the mind of a sick person.

They have no clue to their illness. It is as if they are blind. A very sad situation

I thought murdering children is against the law? If you are talking about abortion, I think abortion is legal even though it is immoral. If you are talking about abortion then what I don't understand is why can't the Republicans pass a law making abortion illegal? The executive and legislative branches of our government are MUCH stronger than the judicial branch by design. I didn't understand why the Republicans did not make abortion illegal 2003-2007 when they controlled all three branches of government. If Democrats are so stupid and incompetent, how come they are capable of wielding so much power in the minority?

As far as having no clue to their illness I will just assume you are making rhetorical satire in attempt to insult the "extreme left". Speaking of "extreme left", I once heard O'Reilly say, "I have liberals on my show all the time" in a response to someone claiming he only had right wing guests. I guess when you are that far to the right everyone else is a left wing extremist.

originally posted by: dfnj2015
"Do Sociopaths Make Better Soldiers?"
"I remember seeing the fear in people's eyes, and knowing that I could operate with a clearer head because it was absent in me," he writes in an email.

Do you remember The My Lai massacre?

500 villagers killed by a US unit, with women being raped and others tortured, garroted and children shot.
It ended only after Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson, an Army helicopter pilot on a reconnaissance mission, landed his aircraft between the soldiers and the retreating villagers and threatened that his men would open fire on the soldiers if they continued their attacks. I don't think he had much praise from the military, and it was covered up by senior officers, and ignore by Nixon. but by the year was out it became public. out of a hundred men, 14 were charged, but only one was convicted for life, later commuted to ten years. Another soldier, Ron Ridenhour not connected to the killings heard about it, and frustrated with his military and the US President went to the press, and that's how it got out.
The very brave Warrant Officer Hugh Thompson when back home received death threats.

None of the soldiers who attacked the villagers had been shot at by them.
So 500 innocent people dead, one person did some time, who was in fact shown some 'empathy' with the reduced sentence.
Make some sense out of that.

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: angeldoll

I think the lack of empathy from the OP skated over the fact many young men and women join because of socioeconomic factors.

I don't see the connection. I was just stating if you are conditioned not to have empathy then maybe that would translate into someone's politics. You would think people coming from poverty would have more empathy for others coming from their situation.

a reply to: dfnj2015

I guess when you are that far to the right everyone else is a left wing extremist.

You're doing the same thing with this thread.

I have many liberal friends, true liberals. And they don't act like they are high and mighty, they understand other viewpoints create balance.

No two people are the same, and what you're eluding to is people must have psychological disorders if they don't think the way you do.

Yet the Democrats participate in the oligarchy as much as Republicans, you still blanket all Democrats as Supreme empathizers.

a reply to: smurfy

I am willing to admit I am completely wrong. I've worked with two ex-military guys. They were equal to the best people I have ever worked with. They had an abundance of integrity and loyalty. They really got the job done.

However, I've seen many ex-military types of many blogs, like Alex Jones news stories for example, who make the most callous comments. Now maybe in real life people behave different when they do not have the anonymity you have on the internet.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe my OP is completely wrong. Part of why I started the thread was just intellectual curiosity if my hunch were correct. Again, maybe my anecdotal way of looking at it s completely wrong. As they say, correlation does not always prove causation.

a reply to: dfnj2015

You're operating under your assumption veterans dont have empathy. Which is bigoted and intolerant to say the least.

I know many vets, many in my family. Many of the ones I know aren't Republican and have some of the kindness loving families.

You see, if takes a lot of selflessness to set aside your life permanently or temporarily to serve something higher than yourself. And even if many vets read this, they'd be fine with you having your opinion no matter how distorted it is, that's what they fought for.

I have several good friends that are combat vets, and seeing them struggle with what they had to do in combat tells me you and the author have little to no actual contact with military people...

Also I am a vet and never seen combat myself.

originally posted by: visitedbythem
a reply to: dfnj2015

Mental issues with conservatives are rare.

There is a whole slew of mental issues that go along with the low moral values of the extreme left. Murder of children is ok in the mind of a sick person.

They have no clue to their illness. It is as if they are blind. A very sad situation

Do you have any documentation whatsoever to support your comments? You are asserting that the left has such "low moral values" they are mentally ill, and are unaware of it? If this is your claim, please support it with studies and research.

originally posted by: visitedbythem
a reply to: dfnj2015

Mental issues with conservatives are rare.

There is a whole slew of mental issues that go along with the low moral values of the extreme left. Murder of children is ok in the mind of a sick person.

They have no clue to their illness. It is as if they are blind. A very sad situation

Jesus.

Mental issues dont discriminate. It doesnt matter what party you or your parents, or friends affiliate with. Genetics, traumatic experiences, and diet/drug intake will affect one and their potential mental issues.

I recognize that your post is an anti thesis to the OP of the thread; neither of which are accurate.

Ps: everyone has mental issues at some point in their life. You're not perfect. No one is.

a reply to: CreationBro

Correct, and additionally people who have mental illness are most often painfully aware of it.

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: dfnj2015

I guess when you are that far to the right everyone else is a left wing extremist.

You're doing the same thing with this thread.

I have many liberal friends, true liberals. And they don't act like they are high and mighty, they understand other viewpoints create balance.

No two people are the same, and what you're eluding to is people must have psychological disorders if they don't think the way you do.

Yet the Democrats participate in the oligarchy as much as Republicans, you still blanket all Democrats as Supreme empathizers.

I don't disagree with anything you are saying in this response.

However, with military training you are conditioned to be cut off from your emotions. I don't see how any soldier would be capable of killing the enemy if they had a bleeding heart. I think there maybe something to what I am suggesting even if it isn't a perfect blanket statement. I have heard countless callous comments from right wingers that make me think they have no empathy bone in their body. I was just thinking maybe it was because they are ex-military. Maybe I'm wrong and it's something else.

originally posted by: angeldoll
a reply to: CreationBro

Correct, and additionally people who have mental illness are most often painfully aware of it.

It's the brief moments of sanity that keep driving me insane.

a reply to: dfnj2015

I do agree with you dfnj that greed and power seem to be paramount in the minds of men these days, (and yes, some parties more than others). When you have large groups of adult human beings who are typically well off, wanting to remove lifelines for the most fragile and needy among us, you have to wonder what the hell their problem is.

originally posted by: dfnj2015

originally posted by: angeldoll
a reply to: CreationBro

Correct, and additionally people who have mental illness are most often painfully aware of it.

It's the brief moments of sanity that keep driving me insane.

OP, check out my thread from earlier today about mirror neurons.

www.abovetopsecret.com...


It involves our understanding of empathy in people or lack thereof.

True sociopaths are like chameleons. They can blend into any group or party fairly well.

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: dfnj2015

You're operating under your assumption veterans font have empathy. Which is bigoted and intolerant to say the least.

I don't think I'm being bigoted and intolerant. I am just going by my experiences with Republican politics. I don't think Republicans are really capable of seeing the world from the eyes of a black welfare mother living in poverty. Otherwise they would never have coined the term "queen".

I still think my OP has something to it. If you are trained to be able to kill somebody in combat, don't you think a soldier might have a particular political philosophy when it comes to caring for the "enemy" ?

a reply to: dfnj2015

I'm sure they all feel nothing. That's why they are so driven to protect their friends more than themselves. And probably why they ball their eyes out if they lose one.

So what's harder, setting aside emotions to fight? Or sending thousands to do it for you? Plenty of Republican and Democrat presidents have done both, almost equally.

Soldiers have strong ideolical conviction, they are able to put aside the idea of themselves for something higher than them.

Just as your ideolical conviction is sending you to grasp at straws to explain why people think differently than you. Rather than just accept it you try and explain it. And if you had empathy you would understand, not try and explain it to yourself.

originally posted by: dfnj2015

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: dfnj2015

I guess when you are that far to the right everyone else is a left wing extremist.

You're doing the same thing with this thread.

I have many liberal friends, true liberals. And they don't act like they are high and mighty, they understand other viewpoints create balance.

No two people are the same, and what you're eluding to is people must have psychological disorders if they don't think the way you do.

Yet the Democrats participate in the oligarchy as much as Republicans, you still blanket all Democrats as Supreme empathizers.

However, with military training you are conditioned to be cut off from your emotions.

That is complete BS. No where during military training is a course on "cutting off your emotions". The only time emotions are mentioned is to say if your feeling depressed to seek help and always looking out for your fellow soldiers/ airmen / sailors etc. if they are showing signs of needing help. You weren't in the military so how can you claim to know how any of us were trained?

When humanitarian disasters happen who are the first people there to help? That's right it's the US military. Ever heard of the two navy hospital ships? All they do is travel the world and help people. Why don't you look up how many people the navy rescued during hurricane Katrina?

Maybe you had a bad run in with a vet or something because you are so misguided on your views of veterans and military personnel. All of my veteran friends are some of the kindest people I've ever known.

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: dfnj2015

I'm sure they all feel nothing. That's why they are so driven to protect their friends more than themselves. And probably why they ball their eyes out if they lose one.

So what's harder, setting aside emotions to fight? Or sending thousands to do it for you? Plenty of Republican and Democrat presidents have done both, almost equally.

Soldiers have strong ideolical conviction, they are able to put aside the idea of themselves for something higher than them.

Just as your ideolical conviction is sending you to grasp at straws to explain why people think differently than you. Rather than just accept it you try and explain it. And if you had empathy you would understand, not try and explain it to yourself.

Right back at you "grasping straws". I did not say military types are not loyal to each other. Loyalty is not the same thing as empathy. Empathy is trying to appreciate someone else who DOES have a completely different ideological view than yours.

But I do agree with your statement "soldiers have strong ideological convictions". Maybe my OP is wrong. Or maybe the lack of empathy is the very thing preventing people from appreciating there might be some truth to what I am saying.

When I made the OP, I was thinking in 2017 maybe our military has ultra advanced psychological conditioning that removes all feelings from a soldiers mind that would prevent him from killing someone. This is a conspiratorial website you know. Military types are not exactly the most mothering types of people.