How to Stop Psychopath CEOs from Looting and Destroying Their Own Companies

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/corporate-accountability-and-workplace/how-stop-psychopath-ceos-looting-and-destroying-their-own

Have bankers gone psycho? It seems hardly a week passes without another example of corporate fraud, rogue traders, rate fixing, and money laundering. Five years after the 2007 economic meltdown that wiped out $14 trillion of U.S. household wealth, the world's financiers seem to be behaving badly as ever and don't care who knows it. Perhaps expecting normal human behavior from many of these individuals is unrealistic because they are not normal -- they are psychopaths.

Corporate corruption linked to personal psychopathy presents both a problem and an opportunity. Rather than further futile efforts at regulation, solving the creditability crisis of global financial institutions may instead involve psychological screening to exclude certain individuals from occupying positions of trust they are medically unqualified for. And if so, cleansing of the capitalist Star Chamber will not be lead by government, but by the private insurance industry -- guided by the invisible hand of Adam Smith.

Let's start with the fascinating and frightening subject of psychopathy. This condition is neither insanity nor a treatable mental illness. It is instead linked to physical abnormalities in the amygdala region of the brain and is perhaps best described by experts as "emotional deafness." While psychopaths can often convincingly feign normal human reactions in order to manipulate others, inside they feel nothing but shark-like self-interest.

This ancient scourge has likely plagued humankind since the dawn of time, undermining our ability to trust each other and build cohesive societies. While sometimes glamourized by Hollywood as a super power, psychopathy shows little evidence of evolutionary advantage even though the condition has a strong genetic signature. After 100,000 years of human history, only one percent of the general population exhibits this affliction -- indicating that it is more parasitic than powerful.

[Demeter]

1. It's a Nice Idea, But

Who would oversee the testing?

There's no institution that's incorruptible. There's no expert who will live forever. There's not even a standard that cannot be assailed, deformed, or defeated by cheating.

I'm afraid we will have to do it the hard way: character assassination, political chicanery, and outright violence when all else fails. Since the Rule of Law has been totally erased in this country, we have to fall back upon more medieval ways.

I just hope that torture doesn't make a comeback....oh, wait, too late for that...

[RC]

2. Didn't the French have a tool to take care of the problem?

[Springslips]

5. Unfortunately

The French Revolution was led by a psychopath, whose psychopathic organization eventually turned on him, which led to an even bigger, war mongering psychopath taking over.

Using psychopath means to stop psychopathy only leads to bigger psychopaths. It is not the answer.

[1StrongBlackMan]

3. I agree ...

"Who will watch the (futureshock) watchers?"

[Fantastic Anarchist]

4. Absolutely fascinating article.

I highly urge everyone to read it, including the links listed therein.

[ThoughtCriminal]

6. It's really not that hard to spot them

The hard part has been convincing half the population and 99% of Wall Street that's it's not a virtue.

[uponit7771]

7. This is rarely talked about