A summary of the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) on narcissistic personality disorder runs as follows:
DSM-IV (p. 661):
A. A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by 5 OR MORE of:
1. Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g. exaggerates achievements and talent, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
2. Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty , or ideal love
3. Believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
4. Requires excessive admiration
5. Has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of specially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
6. Is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
7. Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
8. Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
9. Shows arrogant haughty behaviors or attitudes
If we check these off against how the US administration behaves we find rather more convincing evidence than has yet been found in Iraq.
The most striking maybe is the lack of empathy (Item 7). There is the bland talk of 'surgical strikes' and 'collateral damage' relating to operations in former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and of course in Iraq. The hundreds, the thousands, the hundreds of thousands of people killed, maimed, wounded, bereaved are reduced to statistics. There is also the refusal to agree to the Kyoto agreement: as long as the US can get by, the rest of the world can burn, starve, freeze, drown. The holding of 'terrorist suspects' at Guantanamo Bay and the deliberate definition of their status to deny them access to any legal aid so that they are effectively non-persons is another example.
Item 6 also applies in a big way. Even the politicians and the media who approve of the way in which Governor Tony Blair (UK) has supported the US make disparaging remarks about how Britain gets nothing in return. And this is the way in which the US treats its most respected ally! It's one way traffic all the way: gimme, gimme, gimme. You want something in return? From the US of A? Gee, you limeys sure have a helluva sense of humour.
Is there any need to illustrate Item 9? We would be hard-pressed to find examples where the US administration does not show 'arrogant haughty behaviors or attitudes'. 'We are right', 'we know' permeate every statement, every action.
'believes that others are envious of him or her' (Item 8). This is what the US administration believes of Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organisations: that it is based on envy. Envy there may be, but what is more compelling is hatred: hatred of the imposition of an alien way of life, of an alien culture, on the rest of the world and the systematic looting of other countries assets. Hatred of just how this personality disorder functions and its consequences.
Item 5 also looms large in the US administration's thought processes. Thus it believes it is perfectly reasonable to break its agreement and apply trade barriers on steel when its domestic industry is suffering ('unreasonable expectations of specially favorable treatment'.) The recent attitude to the UN in relation to the resolution on Iraq is another example of requiring 'automatic compliance with his or her expectations'. Even now the US is saying that if the UN is not compliant with its wishes regarding a second resolution then unilateral action will follow.
Well, there's five conditions comfortably met. The remaining ones also apply:
'grandiose sense of self-importance' - look at the press conferences;
'fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance,' - power the US certainly has, but it has its limits. The Vietnam lesson was not learned.;
'Believes that he or she is "special" and unique' - this again permeates every thought, statement and action;
'Requires excessive admiration' - whilst the US systematically loots country after country, we are expected to admire them, to be grateful for their 'civilisation'.
Personality disordered people, with exceptions, are not generally to be feared, contrary to the UK government's policy on locking them up and throwing away the key. It is much more disturbing however to find the combination of narcissistic personality disorder and great power. Grandiosity allied with real power is a very dangerous combination. If we are afraid of the US, it is because the personality of its ruling class is narcissistic and is willing more and more to wield its power in an irresponsible and selfish manner. We have good grounds to be afraid.