The Gulf States put their foot into it when they allowed American bases, etc. Iran is turning this into an economic war. Where are our farmers going to get their fertilizer? They can switch to soy beans from corn but where is the market for soy beans? Did no one think of results down the road? Then there are the conditions ripe for another ISIS.
Hi, Jo. If only we made seasoned/jazzy soy meat-replacement foods 'patriotic'! Spicy grilled tempeh patties and sausages, taco-seasoned firm tofu diced/crumbled. I make a mean scallion-tofu dip/spread and daily mix up a breakfast drink with water-washed non-GMO soy powder with about 5 other organic powders of fruit/creatine/collagen/sports nutrition. Trying to cheer myself up.... My 2nd cousins have long been running Mom's family's Iowa farm, growing corn and soybeans, and have been doing more conscientious land-restoring techniques (but not technically 'organic' or 'regenerative'). I'm praying they can keep it.
Don't expect when Iran goes gunning/bombing for the great Satan that they will show more concern about collateral damage than did we.
This can drag on for a generation or two more... as war drones become steered by autonomous AI in an all encompassing surveillance world. Funny how the worlds we imagine, we end up creating.
As a former Muslim I can tell you that the battle for the middle east is 2,000 years old and involves the Jews. the Sunni and the Shia. Trump just put us in the middle of a war that is still ongoing and will never end, regardless of what strategies, policies and weaponry come to bear. It is sheer hubris that compels the US to keep on with the delusion that it can bring "peace." 2,000 years and counting, American oligarchs like Trump are still making money off it.
Indeed! (though I would extend the culpability for exploiting and exacerbating religious differences to the entire cynical and corrupt international ‘Epstein Class’). Oligarchs around the world have played these peoples off each other for centuries. But today, it is almost formulaic.
Trump does not care about "peace" he is the King of war. His board is the "Board of War" as in Orwell's "1984" "WAR IS PEACE" one of the 3 mottos that the society in the book is based on. Trump's world embraces all 3. He uses the language of the overlords too. He speaks "Doublethink" which I explain in this piece here.
Trump wants 2 contradictory things. He wants to war profiteer, which requires his forever wars; he wants to increase his popularity, which requires him to end he war and fix the economy. He certainly does not care about peace, just the Nobel Peace Prize, which he does not seem to understand he cannot get when he creates a police force that he turns against his own people, and then attacks 8 countries.
Jo, I was asking former Danish intelligence specialist Jacob Kaarsbo yesterday in his special on the region, whether he thought that the Middle Eastern countries that have US bases will be wanting to shut them down.
He thinks they may want to seeing that having the bases is having the opposite effect of protecting them, but does not know what they will do. The US is way behind in Drone warfare tactics. Ukraine is the leader in that, and that is what the US is getting from Iran.
I continue to be worried about attacks on US citizens since there is now a Fatwa against the US, not just against Trump.
Big Money And Jewish Political Influence And Fear Of The Antisemitic Label
AIPAC is in the background of primarying 2 incumbent Democrats Bowman in NYC and Bush in St Louis due to their opposition to Israeli defense spending against Palestinians Now AIPAC is clearly behind the right's attack on Muslim pacifist NY mayor Mamdani making this now a Middle East war carried to a religious culture war here in America
It's not totally clear how many of the American Jewish diaspora support Netanyahu's fascist regime and his "holy war" against Palestinian’s genocide and the Iranian war but one thing is becoming obvious: AIPAC leads the way with $$$ influence in promoting American Jewish interests D's need to get out of AIPAC's pocket and go it alone taking advantage of the political winds of dissent against fascist regimes, Israeli and American Is it antisemitic to raise questions about big money Jewish American influence? I think not(https://www.trackaipac.com/congress) D’s supported by AIPAC should stop getting $$$ from this perverted lobbying organization like AOC . Sanders, Balint, Welch, Jayapal, Lee, Velasquez, Omar, Tlaib, Pressley, van Hollan, Carson. Garcia, Ramirez, Frost, Simon, Grijalva, Pocan, Casar, and Merkley have done(20) Notice most recipients are Nazi Republicans in high Jewish and red state population centers
A prominent Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg is a classic example of knowing which side of the bread is getting buttered When pushed about his opinion of Palestinian genocide Rosenberg is quick to point out that the Palestinians deserve the inhumane Israeli behavior due to the terrorist organization Hamas This same reasoning is used for the Iranian invasion I think Rosenberg is perversely but perfectly aligned with AIPAC and he's one of the primary movers in Democratic policy at the DNC which is why I have stopped donating to the organization and why the DNC could not be against the Palestinian genocide which lost them the Muslim vote in 2024 Muslims and Hispanic immigrants are the new boogeymen
Thank you, Professor Ben-Ghiat. I very much hope with you that the regime’s corruption and malignancy does in fact bring about their downfall. Soon would be good.
It took the Bourbons in France over 500 years and over 300 years for the Romanovs in Russia to accomplish the destruction of their countries. The Dynasty of Dumpty only needed a year.
This is another excellent analysis Ruth, albeit depressing; I wish I was reading a fictional piece instead, but this is unfortunately real. I reflect back to one of your previous Q & A sessions when the word "nihilism" was being tossed around. "Apocalyptic attitudes" come to mind, and even 'accelerationistim" - this talk of Armageddon or the "rapture" has been broached as well by political analysts. Nearly abolishing NSAID and placing Robert F. Kennedy as head of the Dept of Health is another glaring attempt of our country's "leaders" seeming desire to commit suicide; we're wide open to be stricken by another and perhaps more fatal pandemic with a non-physician, vaccine denialist in charge. The midterms cannot come fast enough and I hope that more and more people are recognizing the severity of our condition. Is there no bottom???
The next decade offers the United States a crucial chance to rethink its approach to global leadership. Tackling the challenges of a rapidly evolving international landscape will require renewed investment in diplomacy, stronger cooperation with allies, and the capacity to adapt to new threats, including climate change, technological upheaval, state-sponsored aggression, and humanitarian crises. By strengthening multilateral partnerships and focusing on collaborative solutions, the U.S. can help build a more resilient and secure world.
Achieving these objectives relies on a combination of strategic efforts. First, the U.S. should rebuild trust with international partners by rejoining key agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, and by supporting robust peacekeeping efforts through the United Nations. A balanced trade policy—one that protects domestic interests while leveraging global commerce—can bolster economic stability both at home and abroad. At the same time, investing in cybersecurity, green technology, and intelligence sharing with allies is crucial for addressing evolving security threats.
At the same time, policymakers must confront the implications of the 2025 National Security Statement (NSS), which signals a shift toward a more insular and transactional American foreign policy. This reorientation risks reducing U.S. influence and creating opportunities for rival powers to extend their reach. The success of this new approach will ultimately depend on how effectively the U.S. manages its domestic priorities alongside its global responsibilities.
In Europe, the NSS indicates a major shift from previous policies, fostering skepticism toward longstanding institutions and alliances—even among America’s closest partners. This shift challenges the core of transatlantic cooperation and increases uncertainty in a region vital for global stability.
Looking ahead, the U.S. faces a choice between two strategic paths. An ‘engage’ approach would focus on strengthening international alliances and advancing shared democratic values, using collective action to address global challenges. Alternatively, a ‘fortify’ strategy would prioritize boosting domestic resilience, securing borders, and adopting a more selective, interest-driven approach to foreign engagement. Each option involves trade-offs between leading globally and maintaining national independence, highlighting the need for careful, future-oriented policy decisions.
Ultimately, the United States must face the reality of a multipolar world. The decline of America’s unquestioned dominance, sped up by the Trump administration’s nationalist policies, means that effective leadership now depends on building coalitions and earning trust. By choosing engagement and adaptation over isolation, the U.S. can keep its influence and help shape a more stable international order.
Paul Kennedy described this same trajectory in 'The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers: Economic Change and Military Conflict from 1500 to 2000'.
(I.e., over-extension of military expenditure and efforts to 'maintain control' by force, accelerates the decline of former Great Powers.)
The US (and other [former] Great Powers, are you listening P?) need to husband our current still favorable economic positions, and remember that in a fairer world, the US vote accounts for, and amounts to, 4.2% of world opinion. Russia's is 1.7%.
We also need to proactively address the reality that we have more than our fair share. (US wealth is 31% of world wealth.)
If we seek long term peaceful prosperity and a return to prospective democratic success in international governance, we need to:
a) do serious retrenching of both US & 'multinational' power towers (aka the 'Epstein Class'), and
b) do deliberate 'control relinquishing' and sharing on a sigmoid rate that moves us from exploitation to justice at a 'realistic' pace for those in need of essentials.
Like parenting, responsible power divesture/sharing is the path to the best future for humanity.
(Control by mere military force is a mirage over quicksand.)
Not a chance. Allies in trade and defense have been excoriated in public, worse in private. They have lost confidence and trust in the stability of our govt. They pulled back cautiously in his first term and Biden managed to round them up again and reintegrate us into the herd.
"Fool me once...".
It will take decades of good behavior to be significant in any alliance. Our Big Guns military is built on obsolete thinking, visualizing and strategy. USS Gerald Ford limped out of the theater for repairs on Greece. F35 turns out to be as invincible as the Titanic — Iran shot one down ( it landed safely but damaged) with their "inferior" air defense weapons. Our minesweepers do not work. The guided torpedoes "go rogue". They are also not in theater, but in Malaysia for serious rebuilding of unreliable and useless minesweeping gear!
So, yeah. Our country is being crushed under the weight of decades long hubris, topped off by unfettered corruption and a malignant narcissist at the helm.
The planet will melt by the policies of Trump before we will be able to build a new culture and reputation that you imagine.
Anybody with a smidgeon of education and curiosity would intuit the nearly unfathomable interwoven, and global, connections that keep the ship from listing past the tipping point. And yet, there's a certain person to person connective tissue that can bring some elasticity when it's needed most.
Dear Professor, you make me think of those days end April 1945 when a certain Austrian corporal was moving imaginary armies around, armies who were going to bring that final victory.
That guy was also surrounded by people with high grades who knew better but dared not to say anything.
As a Jungian psychologist long ago, I want to point out the archetypal theme which links narcissism and death. In the myth of Narcissus, he is so besotted with his own image, he falls into the deep pool where he admires himself, and drowns. There had been one who had pursued him for relationship but she is cursed only to be able to repeat his last words, and he rejects her. So she retreats to a deep cave where she wastes away until only her voice is left behind. Her name is Echo.
I want to say that narcissism is a far more dangerous character type than many in an often superficial and appearance-oriented society can accurately identify, much less really understand. The malignant (sadistic) narcissist Trump and his circle include an array of frauds and manipulators, which critics may laugh at as a human zoo—now in matching shoes!—but they are dangerous and unmoored people too.
I suspect there is also an unsettled and odd relationship that narcissists have with footwear, because their fantasy- based thinking and invented selves lack a real grounding with the earth, as well as the truth. These are the last people you want to lead you somewhere, especially a military expedition, because their magnetic north is death.
"In the myth of Narcissus, he is so besotted with his own image, he falls into the deep pool where he admires himself, and drowns. There had been one who had pursued him for relationship but she is cursed only to be able to repeat his last words, and he rejects her. So she retreats to a deep cave where she wastes away until only her voice is left behind. Her name is Echo."
and
"[Narcissists] are the last people you want to lead you somewhere, especially a military expedition, because their magnetic north is death."
Excellent comment! When we add Machiavellianism to what you have already expressed, we see in tRump, a man who will do anything necessary to live up to his God-like self image. He has succeeded in surrounding himself with worshipers. Those with no conscience, combined with Machiavellianism are especially toxic, as we saw with Mussolini, Stalin, Hilter and now tRump. Those with the Dark Tetrad Personality should never be allowed to rise to power.
The Gulf States put their foot into it when they allowed American bases, etc. Iran is turning this into an economic war. Where are our farmers going to get their fertilizer? They can switch to soy beans from corn but where is the market for soy beans? Did no one think of results down the road? Then there are the conditions ripe for another ISIS.
Hi, Jo. If only we made seasoned/jazzy soy meat-replacement foods 'patriotic'! Spicy grilled tempeh patties and sausages, taco-seasoned firm tofu diced/crumbled. I make a mean scallion-tofu dip/spread and daily mix up a breakfast drink with water-washed non-GMO soy powder with about 5 other organic powders of fruit/creatine/collagen/sports nutrition. Trying to cheer myself up.... My 2nd cousins have long been running Mom's family's Iowa farm, growing corn and soybeans, and have been doing more conscientious land-restoring techniques (but not technically 'organic' or 'regenerative'). I'm praying they can keep it.
Good luck to them on keeping their farm.
Thank you, Linda.
Don't expect when Iran goes gunning/bombing for the great Satan that they will show more concern about collateral damage than did we.
This can drag on for a generation or two more... as war drones become steered by autonomous AI in an all encompassing surveillance world. Funny how the worlds we imagine, we end up creating.
As a former Muslim I can tell you that the battle for the middle east is 2,000 years old and involves the Jews. the Sunni and the Shia. Trump just put us in the middle of a war that is still ongoing and will never end, regardless of what strategies, policies and weaponry come to bear. It is sheer hubris that compels the US to keep on with the delusion that it can bring "peace." 2,000 years and counting, American oligarchs like Trump are still making money off it.
Indeed! (though I would extend the culpability for exploiting and exacerbating religious differences to the entire cynical and corrupt international ‘Epstein Class’). Oligarchs around the world have played these peoples off each other for centuries. But today, it is almost formulaic.
I agree. I wrote a piece on this called The Epstein Class and the War, which I wrote right when Trump started this war on Iran.
https://lindaweide.substack.com/p/the-epstein-class-and-the-war?r=f0qfn
Trump does not care about "peace" he is the King of war. His board is the "Board of War" as in Orwell's "1984" "WAR IS PEACE" one of the 3 mottos that the society in the book is based on. Trump's world embraces all 3. He uses the language of the overlords too. He speaks "Doublethink" which I explain in this piece here.
https://lindaweide.substack.com/p/the-language-of-the-fascist-regime?r=f0qfn
Trump wants 2 contradictory things. He wants to war profiteer, which requires his forever wars; he wants to increase his popularity, which requires him to end he war and fix the economy. He certainly does not care about peace, just the Nobel Peace Prize, which he does not seem to understand he cannot get when he creates a police force that he turns against his own people, and then attacks 8 countries.
Jo, I was asking former Danish intelligence specialist Jacob Kaarsbo yesterday in his special on the region, whether he thought that the Middle Eastern countries that have US bases will be wanting to shut them down.
https://jacobkaarsbo.substack.com/p/live-with-jacob-kaarsbo-war-in-the?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
He thinks they may want to seeing that having the bases is having the opposite effect of protecting them, but does not know what they will do. The US is way behind in Drone warfare tactics. Ukraine is the leader in that, and that is what the US is getting from Iran.
I continue to be worried about attacks on US citizens since there is now a Fatwa against the US, not just against Trump.
Your analyses have been so important during these times. Tying the present to the recent histories of strongmen is also crucial.
When things get crazier than crazy, and it seems everything is toppling, we need your kind of perspective. So thank you.
Big Money And Jewish Political Influence And Fear Of The Antisemitic Label
AIPAC is in the background of primarying 2 incumbent Democrats Bowman in NYC and Bush in St Louis due to their opposition to Israeli defense spending against Palestinians Now AIPAC is clearly behind the right's attack on Muslim pacifist NY mayor Mamdani making this now a Middle East war carried to a religious culture war here in America
It's not totally clear how many of the American Jewish diaspora support Netanyahu's fascist regime and his "holy war" against Palestinian’s genocide and the Iranian war but one thing is becoming obvious: AIPAC leads the way with $$$ influence in promoting American Jewish interests D's need to get out of AIPAC's pocket and go it alone taking advantage of the political winds of dissent against fascist regimes, Israeli and American Is it antisemitic to raise questions about big money Jewish American influence? I think not(https://www.trackaipac.com/congress) D’s supported by AIPAC should stop getting $$$ from this perverted lobbying organization like AOC . Sanders, Balint, Welch, Jayapal, Lee, Velasquez, Omar, Tlaib, Pressley, van Hollan, Carson. Garcia, Ramirez, Frost, Simon, Grijalva, Pocan, Casar, and Merkley have done(20) Notice most recipients are Nazi Republicans in high Jewish and red state population centers
A prominent Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg is a classic example of knowing which side of the bread is getting buttered When pushed about his opinion of Palestinian genocide Rosenberg is quick to point out that the Palestinians deserve the inhumane Israeli behavior due to the terrorist organization Hamas This same reasoning is used for the Iranian invasion I think Rosenberg is perversely but perfectly aligned with AIPAC and he's one of the primary movers in Democratic policy at the DNC which is why I have stopped donating to the organization and why the DNC could not be against the Palestinian genocide which lost them the Muslim vote in 2024 Muslims and Hispanic immigrants are the new boogeymen
Thank you for the Track AIPAC link. Very helpful.
Yeah, I stopped donating to DNC too. Think $ is better in the hands of state and local campaigns - or progressive interests I share.
good point
Thank you, Professor Ben-Ghiat. I very much hope with you that the regime’s corruption and malignancy does in fact bring about their downfall. Soon would be good.
I appreciate your expertise during these times.
Ruth, I referred to, and linked to, this piece, in my substack, today. I appreciate you so much.
Rick's View From New Orleans, rickgeissal.substack.com
Thank you for your thoughtful and insightful analysis, as always. Even as we teeter toward the brink of the abyss
It took the Bourbons in France over 500 years and over 300 years for the Romanovs in Russia to accomplish the destruction of their countries. The Dynasty of Dumpty only needed a year.
Completely predictable when Trump was elected and yet many either didn't read your book and do further research or they just didn't care.
Ruth Ben ghiat standing up with the truth, thanks
Same hubristic mistakes were made surrounding war in Iraq.
This is another excellent analysis Ruth, albeit depressing; I wish I was reading a fictional piece instead, but this is unfortunately real. I reflect back to one of your previous Q & A sessions when the word "nihilism" was being tossed around. "Apocalyptic attitudes" come to mind, and even 'accelerationistim" - this talk of Armageddon or the "rapture" has been broached as well by political analysts. Nearly abolishing NSAID and placing Robert F. Kennedy as head of the Dept of Health is another glaring attempt of our country's "leaders" seeming desire to commit suicide; we're wide open to be stricken by another and perhaps more fatal pandemic with a non-physician, vaccine denialist in charge. The midterms cannot come fast enough and I hope that more and more people are recognizing the severity of our condition. Is there no bottom???
We see this self-destructiveness in the teens and twenties as well.
Mental health is not great, population wide.
The next decade offers the United States a crucial chance to rethink its approach to global leadership. Tackling the challenges of a rapidly evolving international landscape will require renewed investment in diplomacy, stronger cooperation with allies, and the capacity to adapt to new threats, including climate change, technological upheaval, state-sponsored aggression, and humanitarian crises. By strengthening multilateral partnerships and focusing on collaborative solutions, the U.S. can help build a more resilient and secure world.
Achieving these objectives relies on a combination of strategic efforts. First, the U.S. should rebuild trust with international partners by rejoining key agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, and by supporting robust peacekeeping efforts through the United Nations. A balanced trade policy—one that protects domestic interests while leveraging global commerce—can bolster economic stability both at home and abroad. At the same time, investing in cybersecurity, green technology, and intelligence sharing with allies is crucial for addressing evolving security threats.
At the same time, policymakers must confront the implications of the 2025 National Security Statement (NSS), which signals a shift toward a more insular and transactional American foreign policy. This reorientation risks reducing U.S. influence and creating opportunities for rival powers to extend their reach. The success of this new approach will ultimately depend on how effectively the U.S. manages its domestic priorities alongside its global responsibilities.
In Europe, the NSS indicates a major shift from previous policies, fostering skepticism toward longstanding institutions and alliances—even among America’s closest partners. This shift challenges the core of transatlantic cooperation and increases uncertainty in a region vital for global stability.
Looking ahead, the U.S. faces a choice between two strategic paths. An ‘engage’ approach would focus on strengthening international alliances and advancing shared democratic values, using collective action to address global challenges. Alternatively, a ‘fortify’ strategy would prioritize boosting domestic resilience, securing borders, and adopting a more selective, interest-driven approach to foreign engagement. Each option involves trade-offs between leading globally and maintaining national independence, highlighting the need for careful, future-oriented policy decisions.
Ultimately, the United States must face the reality of a multipolar world. The decline of America’s unquestioned dominance, sped up by the Trump administration’s nationalist policies, means that effective leadership now depends on building coalitions and earning trust. By choosing engagement and adaptation over isolation, the U.S. can keep its influence and help shape a more stable international order.
Paul Kennedy described this same trajectory in 'The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers: Economic Change and Military Conflict from 1500 to 2000'.
(I.e., over-extension of military expenditure and efforts to 'maintain control' by force, accelerates the decline of former Great Powers.)
The US (and other [former] Great Powers, are you listening P?) need to husband our current still favorable economic positions, and remember that in a fairer world, the US vote accounts for, and amounts to, 4.2% of world opinion. Russia's is 1.7%.
We also need to proactively address the reality that we have more than our fair share. (US wealth is 31% of world wealth.)
If we seek long term peaceful prosperity and a return to prospective democratic success in international governance, we need to:
a) do serious retrenching of both US & 'multinational' power towers (aka the 'Epstein Class'), and
b) do deliberate 'control relinquishing' and sharing on a sigmoid rate that moves us from exploitation to justice at a 'realistic' pace for those in need of essentials.
Like parenting, responsible power divesture/sharing is the path to the best future for humanity.
(Control by mere military force is a mirage over quicksand.)
Not a chance. Allies in trade and defense have been excoriated in public, worse in private. They have lost confidence and trust in the stability of our govt. They pulled back cautiously in his first term and Biden managed to round them up again and reintegrate us into the herd.
"Fool me once...".
It will take decades of good behavior to be significant in any alliance. Our Big Guns military is built on obsolete thinking, visualizing and strategy. USS Gerald Ford limped out of the theater for repairs on Greece. F35 turns out to be as invincible as the Titanic — Iran shot one down ( it landed safely but damaged) with their "inferior" air defense weapons. Our minesweepers do not work. The guided torpedoes "go rogue". They are also not in theater, but in Malaysia for serious rebuilding of unreliable and useless minesweeping gear!
So, yeah. Our country is being crushed under the weight of decades long hubris, topped off by unfettered corruption and a malignant narcissist at the helm.
The planet will melt by the policies of Trump before we will be able to build a new culture and reputation that you imagine.
"You could look it up" as Stengel said.
Government stability is a much larger issue than anyone in power wants to acknowledge. May I suggest that you read: https://louhoffman.substack.com/p/donald-trump-the-king-of-debt-and
Yes. And
Anybody with a smidgeon of education and curiosity would intuit the nearly unfathomable interwoven, and global, connections that keep the ship from listing past the tipping point. And yet, there's a certain person to person connective tissue that can bring some elasticity when it's needed most.
We've forfeited all of it.
Dear Professor, you make me think of those days end April 1945 when a certain Austrian corporal was moving imaginary armies around, armies who were going to bring that final victory.
That guy was also surrounded by people with high grades who knew better but dared not to say anything.
Thank you for having Jason Crow on with you. He is my Representative and I appreciate everything he does for Colorado and our country.
As a Jungian psychologist long ago, I want to point out the archetypal theme which links narcissism and death. In the myth of Narcissus, he is so besotted with his own image, he falls into the deep pool where he admires himself, and drowns. There had been one who had pursued him for relationship but she is cursed only to be able to repeat his last words, and he rejects her. So she retreats to a deep cave where she wastes away until only her voice is left behind. Her name is Echo.
I want to say that narcissism is a far more dangerous character type than many in an often superficial and appearance-oriented society can accurately identify, much less really understand. The malignant (sadistic) narcissist Trump and his circle include an array of frauds and manipulators, which critics may laugh at as a human zoo—now in matching shoes!—but they are dangerous and unmoored people too.
I suspect there is also an unsettled and odd relationship that narcissists have with footwear, because their fantasy- based thinking and invented selves lack a real grounding with the earth, as well as the truth. These are the last people you want to lead you somewhere, especially a military expedition, because their magnetic north is death.
Thanks for this! Myth has power... :)
"In the myth of Narcissus, he is so besotted with his own image, he falls into the deep pool where he admires himself, and drowns. There had been one who had pursued him for relationship but she is cursed only to be able to repeat his last words, and he rejects her. So she retreats to a deep cave where she wastes away until only her voice is left behind. Her name is Echo."
and
"[Narcissists] are the last people you want to lead you somewhere, especially a military expedition, because their magnetic north is death."
Excellent comment! When we add Machiavellianism to what you have already expressed, we see in tRump, a man who will do anything necessary to live up to his God-like self image. He has succeeded in surrounding himself with worshipers. Those with no conscience, combined with Machiavellianism are especially toxic, as we saw with Mussolini, Stalin, Hilter and now tRump. Those with the Dark Tetrad Personality should never be allowed to rise to power.